How to move custom fields between EHRs
Move custom fields between EHRs by listing every custom field in the old system, separating them from standard fields, mapping each one to a new EHR field, a document or the archive, writing down what will drop, testing the plan on a sample export and import, and spot-checking the values after the full load.
- A custom field is a field your practice added to client records or forms, so the new EHR has no ready-made match for it.
- Inventory custom fields separately from standard fields, with an owner and a reason for each.
- Test the mapping on a sample migration and spot-check values after the load.
What makes custom fields harder to move?
Standard fields, such as name, date of birth and insurance ID, usually have a clear match in the new EHR. Custom fields were added by your practice: a referral program flag, a preferred pharmacy note, a program track, a pick list for groups. The new system may not have the same field, the same pick list values or the same place on the chart. Many exports also put custom fields in a separate file or column set, and some leave them out.
How do custom fields usually export?
Exports vary:
- Extra columns in the client file, often with internal names
- A separate custom field file keyed by client ID
- Values inside intake form answers or notes, with no field of their own
- No export at all for some field types
Check the test export for every custom field on your list before you plan the mapping.
How do you move custom fields step by step?
Step 1: Inventory custom fields
List every custom field on client records, intake forms and billing screens. For each one, record its name, type (text, date, pick list, checkbox), where it shows, who uses it and why.
Step 2: Separate custom from standard fields
Mark which fields came with the old EHR and which your practice added. Standard fields go through the normal field mapping. Custom fields get their own section.
Step 3: Map each custom field
For each custom field, choose one: map to a matching field in the new EHR, create a new custom field there, store the value in a document on the chart, or keep it only in the archive. For pick lists, map every old value to a new value.
Step 4: Decide what drops
Some fields are no longer used or only existed for an old workflow. Write down which fields will not move and who agreed. Keep them in the archive if staff may need to look them up.
Step 5: Test with a sample export and import
Load a sample of clients with known custom values. Compare each value on screen with the source export, including blanks and pick list values.
Step 6: Spot-check after the full load
After cutover, check custom field values on a sample of charts across clinicians and programs. Log mismatches next to the reconciliation report.
Who should review the custom field plan?
- Project owner: keeps the inventory and the decision for each field.
- Clinical lead: confirms which clinical custom fields staff still need.
- Billing lead: confirms custom fields used for claims or reporting.
- Front desk: confirms intake and scheduling fields they rely on.
What to watch for
- Custom fields missing from the export file.
- Pick list values that map to the wrong option or land blank.
- New EHR custom fields created with names staff do not recognize.
- Fields dropped without anyone signing off.
Frequently asked questions
Do custom fields move in an EHR migration?
Some do, some do not. It depends on whether the old system exports them and whether the new one can hold them as fields. Check the test export first.
What if the new EHR has no matching field?
Create a custom field in the new EHR, store the value in a document on the chart, or keep it in the archive. Write down the choice for each field.
Are custom fields the same as note templates?
No. Custom fields hold single values on a record. Templates and forms shape whole notes and intake documents, covered in note templates and intake forms.
Does Ferry map custom fields?
Yes, Ferry maps custom fields the export contains and lists any that drop in the reconciliation report. Your team decides which fields still matter.
Next, plan how client demographics move. For the full project from inventory to archive, see the EHR data migration guide.
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.