How to clean up EHR data before a migration
To clean up EHR data before a migration, merge duplicate client records, sign and lock open notes, mark the status of past appointments, update client status, review open balances and claims, and retire forms and templates no one uses. Finish before the final test export, so the field mapping and the counts in the reconciliation report reflect clean data.
- Clean up in the old system before the final test export, so mapping and counts are based on the data that will actually move.
- Merge duplicate clients and sign open notes first, since both show up as gaps in the reconciliation report.
- Decide early which inactive clients and old templates go to a read-only archive.
Why clean up EHR data before a migration?
Every record you move has to be mapped, tested and counted. Duplicate clients, unsigned notes and appointments with no status all show up as differences in the reconciliation report, and each one takes time to explain. Cleaning them up in the old system first gives you smaller, clearer counts and fewer surprises in the sample migration.
How do you clean up EHR data, step by step?
Step 1: Merge duplicate client records
Search for clients who share a name and date of birth, or a phone number or email, and merge them in the old system if it offers a merge feature. List any you cannot merge, so the field mapping can say how each one is handled.
Step 2: Sign and lock open notes
Ask each clinician to sign and lock notes for sessions already held. Unsigned drafts can export differently from signed notes, so check how your current system handles them in the test export.
Step 3: Mark the status of past appointments
Past appointments with no status (attended, cancelled or no-show) make schedule counts hard to match. Ask front desk staff to mark them, starting with the most recent months.
Step 4: Update client status
Mark clients who have finished care as discharged or inactive. That makes it easy to decide whether each one moves to the new system or stays in the archive.
Step 5: Review open balances and claims
Ask billing staff to post payments received, follow up on old balances and list every claim still open. The list shows where each claim will be finished after cutover.
Step 6: Retire unused forms and templates
List the intake forms, note templates and assessments still in use. Templates no one uses can stay behind, which keeps the field mapping shorter.
Which records should go to an archive instead?
Clients discharged long ago, retired templates and records you keep only to meet retention rules are often better kept in a read-only archive than moved. Legacy EHR data archiving: archive vs migrate compares the options.
Who should do the cleanup?
- Clinicians: sign open notes and confirm diagnoses for their active clients.
- Front desk: mark past appointments and update client status.
- Billing: post payments, list open claims and review old balances.
- Project owner: track progress and decide what goes to the archive.
Who does what in an EHR migration sets out each role for the whole project.
When should cleanup happen?
Start as soon as you decide to switch, and finish before the final test export. If you clean up after the test export, request a fresh export before the field mapping is final.
Frequently asked questions
Should we clean up EHR data before or after the migration?
Before. Cleaning up in the old system leaves fewer records to map and test, and clearer counts in the reconciliation report. Smaller fixes can still be made in the new system after go-live.
How do you find duplicate client records in an EHR?
Search the old system for clients who share a name and date of birth, or a phone number or email. Many EHRs offer a merge feature; list any duplicates you cannot merge so the migration plan can say how each one is handled.
Do unsigned notes move in an EHR migration?
It depends on the system. Some exports treat unsigned drafts differently from signed notes, so ask clinicians to sign and lock notes for sessions already held, then check the test export.
How does Ferry help with data cleanup?
Ferry reviews a recent export from your current system during scoping, before quoting a fixed price, so gaps in the export show up early. The field mapping then records how anything without a clean match is handled.
Clean data makes the field mapping shorter and the sample migration easier to check.
How Ferry helps
Ferry migrates data between behavioral health EHRs at a fixed price, with a reconciliation report for every record type. Get a migration quote.