EHR Data Migration: Complete Guide
Medical data transfer is undertaken by healthcare providers for a variety of reasons. Maybe your organization has opted to improve its servers or storage devices. Another reason is that your ambulatory clinic requires a more robust system as patient care becomes more sophisticated.
Whatever your reason for requiring EMR data migration services, the procedure can be complicated and frustrating. You require a solution that can keep up with patient care as well as operational and financial information.
Understanding Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Data Migration
The process of transferring data from an old infrastructure to a new one in an EHR is known as data migration. An EHR typically includes the following patient data:
How will you migrate existing patient data to the new EHR?
Several measures must be taken by your clinic in order to prepare for EHR data migration. The first step is to conduct a discovery process with the IT department in order to establish data transition parameters. Consider the following aspects:
Next, go over current patient records to ensure that the data migration procedure runs smoothly. Accounts of deceased or inactive patients do not need to be transferred. You should also look for duplicate accounts. Patients with one EHR under their maiden name and one under their marital name are a common example.
The American Health Information Management System recommends a duplicate EHR rate of less than 3 percent. The current average, though, is as high as 12 percent. Setting criteria for file sorting, such as the last encounter date, can considerably enhance efficiency. It is time to choose an EHR data migration vendor after your healthcare organization has developed the project scope and cleaned up patient information.
Best Practices for a Successful Data Migration
The vendor you choose to work with on your health data migration project is critical. First and foremost, your EHR vendor must comply with patient privacy laws (HIPAA). Experience is also important. Look for an EHR vendor who has been in business for a long time and has assisted with data migration from many operating systems.
You should also look for a provider that provides personalized workflow solutions. Make certain that your EHR data migration provider supports all workflows in your current medical system as well as those you intend to add. Billing, pharmacies, doctors, and scheduling are just a few examples. You should also allow enough time for staff training on the new EHRs before going live.
Common EHR data migration challenges
As formerly said, hiring professionals for EHR data migration is an excellent way to avoid numerous associated issues. The transition to a more advanced system may be difficult due to significant software and infrastructural enhancements.
Here are just a few of the challenges you might encounter:
1. Lack of technical infrastructure
Scaling and migrating to another system may be more difficult if your legacy infrastructure is server-based. Technology infrastructure restrictions are cited as a key obstacle to successful data exploitation by 23% of healthcare leaders. The move to cloud architecture is the most effective solution to fix the infrastructure and network problems once and for all.
2. Limited data security
Most companies face a significant threat from ransomware, intrusion, data theft, and extortion. When migrating to a new system, existing data protection mechanisms may cease to function, contributing to errors and increasing the risk of data breaches.
3. Unfulfilled patient expectations
Although many healthcare facilities are moving to more modern methods to improve internal operations, patients' feedback is just as important. If new tools are of worse quality and usability than earlier systems, a healthcare provider may lose a significant portion of its patient base. Because the implementation of an EHR will have a substantial impact on patient experience, satisfying their expectations is another key goal.
4. Excessive financial expenses
According to a current study, the cost of a new EHR system ranges from $250 million to $1 billion. There are several hidden costs, such as losses arising from physicians being diverted from other activities. As a result, you must carefully select the type of relocation and calculate your budget, ideally with professional assistance.
Take advantage of Vconnex's EHR data migration best practices.
Vconnex Services, Inc. is a custom software development company based in Florida that offers EHR data migration and engineering services. Our staff can handle any technology requirement, from the creation of remote patient monitoring software to telemedicine. Visit our portfolio for additional information about completed projects, and get in touch with us to talk about yours.
