How to request and test a full EHR export before you switch
Before you switch EHRs, request a full test export from your current vendor, open the files yourself, and confirm that client records, notes, documents and appointments are present and readable. Do this before you sign the new contract when you can.
- Ask in writing for formats, timing, what is included and how long the export stays available.
- Open sample charts, notes and documents yourself; do not assume the package is complete.
- Spot gaps early: missing note types, empty document folders, broken attachments or counts that do not match your roster.
What should you ask your current EHR for?
Put the request in writing and keep a copy. Ask:
- Which export formats are available (CSV, PDF chart packages, C-CDA or other).
- How long a full export usually takes once requested.
- Whether the export includes demographics, insurance, appointments, diagnoses, clinical notes, uploaded documents, balances and open claims.
- Whether audit history or embedded signatures are included.
- How long the vendor will keep the export available for download.
- Whether a smaller test export is available before the full run.
For vendor help center links (Ferry is not affiliated with these vendors), see the official export help table in the complete guide.
What should you check in the files?
- Open several active client charts end to end.
- Confirm clinical notes are present and readable for more than one clinician.
- Open uploaded documents (consents, outside records) and confirm attachments are not empty.
- Check that appointment history and future appointments appear.
- Compare client counts in the export to a roster from the live system.
- Note any custom fields or templates that did not come through as structured data.
How do you spot missing documents or notes?
- Compare a list of recent note dates in the old system to what appears in the export for the same clients.
- Search for known document names (for example a signed consent) and confirm the file opens.
- Flag note types or document folders that are empty for clients who should have them.
- Record gaps in writing and send them back to the vendor before cutover.
What should you do with the results?
- Use the test export to drive field mapping and the sample migration described in the EHR data migration complete guide.
- Decide what to migrate versus archive with the legacy EHR data archiving guide.
- Keep the checked export in secure storage until the live migration finishes.
Frequently asked questions
When should we request a test export?
Request a test export as early as you can, ideally before you sign a new EHR contract, so you know what will actually leave the old system.
What if the export is incomplete?
If the export is incomplete, document the gaps, send them to the vendor in writing and decide whether to remediate, re-export or archive the missing pieces. Ferry flags export gaps during scoping when we review a sample.
Are legal export rights covered here?
Legal export rights are not covered in this operational guide. For federal information blocking rules, see ONC's overview of information blocking (opens in a new tab) and talk with counsel about your vendor.
How Ferry helps
Ferry reviews exports during scoping, agrees a fixed price, then migrates and reconciles every record type. Get a migration quote.