Health IT and Electronic Health
Activate your FREE membership today |
Log-in
Changing EMR systems
Our 2 MD practice has been using an EMR system called Aprima and the hospital managing our pratice is changing to NextGen, our current records are hosted in the hospital server and our IT Dept does not seem to know how to migrate these records to the new EMR. My question is: can we put old emr files into CDs and start fresh with the new system? Would it be best to digitalize info in the old system and migrate it to the new one - would the cost be prohibitive? It was easier in the past when we could just take our paper charts to where ever we go!
Software/Hardware used:
Aprima, NextGen
Software/Hardware used:
Aprima, NextGen
ASKED:
April 11, 2012 4:25 PM
UPDATED:
August 29, 2012 11:28 am
Answer Wiki:
This is a question that you should ask the new vendor (Nextgen). They should be able to look at the format of your old data and tell you how to best make the transition. If you copy data to an object like a CD, you'll need to be sure that the CD never gets lost, stolen, or copied.
You can also look to use companies that specialize in EMR Conversions such as Health eFormatics (full disclosure - I am from this company) to let you know all of your options (and there are several - discrete, summary document, CCD, PatientArchive, hybrid). We have a product called PatientArchive which gives you visibility to all of your legacy EMR data without having to go through the full EMR conversion process.
To see all answers submitted to the Answer Wiki: View Answer History.
Also remember to have a discussion with the new vendor in regards to what EXACTLY will a conversion look like? I have been through conversions that were not clearly identified and all of the information was placed in the new system as historical, meaning, it could not be manipulated or reported on. The practice had to re-add the entries manually. This is not my idea of a clinical conversion. Summary-If NextGen says they can convert it, ask the question “will it be converted as discrete data that can be manipulated and used without any other intervention.”