How to move documents and scanned files between EHRs
To move documents and scanned files between EHRs, list every document type in your current system, get an export that includes the files and an index tying each file to a client and date, map each document type to a category in the new EHR, test on a sample of clients by opening every file, and reconcile file counts per client after the full move.
- A document index that links each file to the right client, date and type matters as much as the files themselves.
- Map each document type to a category in the new EHR and check its file size and file type limits early.
- Open every file for your sample clients, then reconcile document counts for each client after the full move.
Which documents usually need to move?
- Signed intake forms and consents, including Part 2 consents if your practice holds them
- Scanned referrals and outside records
- Uploaded PDFs, such as letters, assessments and court or school paperwork
- Signed treatment plans stored as files
- Images of insurance cards and photo IDs
- Past clinical notes that arrive as PDFs in the export
What is a document index, and why do you need one?
A document index is a list of every exported file with the client it belongs to, the date, the document type and the file name. Exports often name files with internal numbers, so the index is what lets each file land on the right chart in the new EHR. Ask your current vendor whether the export includes one before you rely on the files.
How do you move documents step by step?
Step 1: Inventory the documents in your current EHR
List each document type, roughly how many clients have files, and the file formats in use, such as PDF, JPG or TIFF.
Step 2: Request an export with files and an index
Ask your current vendor in writing for a full export that includes every uploaded file plus a document index. Check a test copy as soon as it arrives.
Step 3: Check the new EHR's limits
Ask your new vendor which file types and file sizes it accepts and how documents are grouped, so oversized or unusual files are planned for before cutover.
Step 4: Map document types to categories
Add each document type to the field mapping with the category or folder it will land in and how files will be named, for example by date and document type.
Step 5: Test on sample clients
Move the documents for your sample clients and open every file. Confirm each one opens, sits on the right client and carries a clear name.
Step 6: Reconcile file counts after the full move
Compare the number of documents for each client in the old system with the new one, and follow up on every difference before you sign off.
What problems should you look for?
| Problem | What it looks like | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Missing index | Files with numeric names and no client attached | Ask the vendor for an index before the full move |
| File on the wrong client | A document opens on another client's chart | Stop and recheck the index and mapping for that batch |
| Empty or broken file | The file is listed but does not open | Request that file again from the old system |
| Unsupported file type | The new EHR rejects the upload | Convert to a supported type or keep it in the archive |
| Duplicate files | The same document appears twice on a chart | Check whether it was uploaded twice in the old system |
Frequently asked questions
Will scanned documents be searchable in the new EHR?
A scanned image moves as the same image. Whether you can search the text inside it depends on the new EHR, so rely on clear names and categories to find files.
What if the export has files but no index?
Ask your current vendor for one before the full migration. Without an index, files cannot be matched to clients reliably, so plan to keep them in a read-only archive until they can.
Should every document move to the new EHR?
Move the documents staff need for current care and billing. Older files can stay in a read-only archive, as covered in the legacy EHR data archiving guide.
Does Ferry move documents?
Yes. Every Ferry migration includes clinical notes, documents and demographics, and the reconciliation report covers documents as a record type.
For how other data types move, see what moves in an EHR migration, and in what form.
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.