When considering switching electronic medical records (EMRs), the first worry many clinic directors and medical clerical staff face is: "Can the patient data we have accumulated really be migrated properly into the new chart?" This article organizes EMR data migration and switching from a practical standpoint—the scope of information that can be migrated, cost estimates, concrete steps, and common pitfalls.
There Is a Wall of "How Much Can Actually Be Migrated"
The first thing to understand is that EMR data has a different data structure for each product, and not everything can be migrated in its original form. Whether migration is possible roughly breaks down as follows:
- Information that migrates easily: patient master data (name, date of birth, insurance information, etc.), diagnoses, and structured data such as prescriptions and tests
- Information that is difficult or conditional to migrate: free-text chart bodies, schemas/images, and documents in proprietary formats
Free-text progress notes are often retained only as "reference-only PDFs" on the new chart. Because vendors' policies differ greatly, always confirm at the estimate stage "which data will be migrated, and in what format."
That said, this wall of "a proprietary format per product" gets lower as EMR information standardization (HL7 FHIR, SS-MIX2, standard codes) advances. For migration methods, steps, and limitations that assume standards conformance, see EMR Data Migration Aligned with Standard Requirements.
Main Methods of Data Migration
1. Conversion Migration of Structured Data
This method converts patient master data, diagnoses, prescriptions, and so on into the new chart's data format and imports them. It is the ideal form that allows practice to continue seamlessly, but conversion work incurs cost and time.
2. Reference Migration as PDFs/Images
This method exports the old chart's records as PDFs or images in bulk so they can be referenced per patient from the new chart. It is easier to keep costs down, but searchability on the new chart decreases.
3. Reference-Only Retention of the Old System (Parallel Retention)
Instead of migrating, the old chart is kept "reference-only" for a certain period. This can be a realistic option for meeting the statutory retention period (medical records: 5 years).
Cost Estimates and Breakdown
Migration costs vary greatly depending on the number of patients, data volume, migration method, and how easily data can be extracted from the old chart. A typical breakdown is as follows:
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Data extraction fee | Work to export data from the old chart |
| Conversion/import fee | Conversion to and import into the new chart format |
| Verification/attendance fee | Reconciliation after migration, same-day support |
Because actual amounts range widely by vendor and conditions, always obtain estimates from multiple companies and clarify "what is included and what is charged separately."
Steps to Avoid Failure
- Inventory your current chart data: decide priorities for what must be migrated (diagnoses, prescriptions, images, etc.)
- Confirm data extraction feasibility with the old vendor: check contractual restrictions and output formats early
- Present migration requirements to the new vendor and obtain estimates: confirm scope, format, and cost in writing
- Test migration and reconciliation: verify with a subset of data before going live
- Set a parallel operation period: keep the old chart referenceable for a while in case of trouble right after switching
Cautions Easy to Overlook During Migration
- Compliance with statutory retention periods: the obligation to retain medical records continues after migration. Confirm the migrated data meets retention requirements
- Security and guideline compliance: because patient information is handled even during migration, handling in line with the "Guidelines for the Safe Management of Medical Information Systems" (the Three Ministries' Two Guidelines) is required
- Schedule buffer: migration tends to take longer than expected. Planning that avoids revision periods and busy seasons is safer
The AI-native EMR "AI Karte" manages patient information, diagnoses, and claim (rezept) data on a single foundation with an integrated receipt computer (rececon), operating in a cloud environment compliant with the Three Ministries' Two Guidelines. Even after migration, its AI summarization makes it easier to grasp past charts, reducing the burden immediately after switching. Feasibility and scope of migration can be discussed according to your individual environment.
Conclusion
EMR data migration succeeds when you assess scope, cost, and steps in advance, on the premise that "not everything can be migrated perfectly." Decide priorities, compare multiple vendors, and reduce risk with test migration and parallel operation—if you cover these basics, the anxiety of switching can be greatly reduced.
Through providing AI Karte, Pottech aims to be the ideal business partner for clinics—improving the working environment for physicians, nurses, and medical clerical staff, and supporting clinics in fully realizing what they want to achieve.
For more details, please feel free to contact us.
References
- Guidelines for the Safe Management of Medical Information Systems, Ver. 7.0 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)
- Safety Management Guidelines for Providers of Information Systems and Services Handling Medical Information (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)