How to move group sessions and group notes between EHRs
Move group sessions and group notes between EHRs by listing every group with its roster and recurring schedule, finding out how each system stores group notes, mapping groups, members and note types, testing on a sample of groups and spot-checking member charts after the full load. Plan group appointments with the rest of the schedule so no member is dropped or booked twice.
- Inventory every running group with its facilitators, roster and recurring schedule before the test export.
- A group note may be stored once for the group, as a copy on each member's chart, or as a shared part plus an individual part, and the two systems may differ.
- Test on a sample migration with real groups and spot-check member charts after the load.
Why do group sessions need their own plan?
A group session links one appointment to several clients and often more than one facilitator. The old system may hold the group as its own record with a roster, while the new one may only book each member separately. Group notes add a second layer: the shared part of the note and each member's individual entry need to land on the right charts.
How are group notes usually stored?
Systems vary:
- One note for the group, linked to each member's chart
- A separate copy of the note on each member's chart
- A shared section for the group plus an individual section per member
- A document per session, with no structured link to the members
Check the test export for at least one group of each type before you plan the mapping. If group notes arrive as documents, plan how each one attaches to every member's chart, using how to move documents between EHRs.
How do you move group sessions and notes step by step?
Step 1: Inventory groups and rosters
List every group in the old system: name, facilitators, service, location or telehealth, current members and members who have left. Mark which groups are still running.
Step 2: List recurring group appointments
For each running group, record the repeating pattern and the end date, if there is one. Some systems export a group series as one rule and others as separate dates, the same issue covered in how to move appointments between EHRs.
Step 3: Find how group notes are stored on both sides
Confirm how the old system stores group notes and how the new one expects them. Note whether each member's individual entry is kept apart from the shared section.
Step 4: Map groups, members and note types
In the field mapping, record how each group, its roster, its service and its note type land in the new EHR. If the new system has no group record, write down how members' appointments and notes will be linked instead.
Step 5: Test on a sample of groups
Include at least one running group and one past group in the sample migration. Open each member's chart and confirm the session date, the facilitator, the shared note and that member's own entry.
Step 6: Spot-check member charts after the full load
After cutover, check the next sessions on each group calendar and open a few member charts per group. Confirm each individual entry sits only on that member's chart. Log mismatches next to the reconciliation report.
Who should review the group plan?
- Project owner: keeps the group inventory and the mapping decisions.
- Group facilitators: confirm rosters, schedules and how they write group notes.
- Clinical lead: confirms how shared and individual note sections should land.
- Billing lead: confirms the service and status on each group session.
What to watch for
- Group sessions that arrive as one appointment with only one client attached.
- Individual entries that land on the wrong member's chart.
- Recurring group series that stop at go-live or appear twice.
- Former members still on the roster of a running group.
Frequently asked questions
Do group notes move between EHRs?
Usually, though the form varies. Some systems export group notes as one shared note, some as a copy per member and some only as documents. Check the test export first.
Should the shared note be copied to every member's chart?
That depends on how the new EHR handles group notes and how your clinical lead wants charts to read. Decide it in the field mapping and confirm it on the sample migration.
What happens to group rosters?
If both systems have a group record, rosters can often move with it. If not, rebuild each running group in the new EHR and check the roster against the old one before the first session.
Does Ferry move group sessions and notes?
Yes. Ferry maps the group sessions, rosters and group notes the export contains and lists anything that cannot move as structured data in the reconciliation report.
Next, plan how insurance and payer details 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.