When organizations plan a system migration, whether to a new EHR, billing platform or HR system, attention goes to features, dates and training. The data itself gets less attention, on the assumption that it will simply move across. It does, including every duplicate, typo and outdated record. A new system loaded with old problems is just a faster way to see them.
A data audit before the move gives you a chance to fix issues while you still have time. This post outlines how to run one.
Migration tools copy and transform data, but they cannot know which records are wrong. Errors that were tolerable in the old system, because staff knew the workarounds, become confusing in a new one where those workarounds do not exist. Cleaning beforehand also reduces the volume you must move and test.
List every place data lives that the migration touches:
The current system's main database and modules.
Spreadsheets, shared drives and email attachments that act as shadow systems.
Scanned documents and paper files.
Data in connected systems such as pharmacy, lab or billing.
For each source, note who owns it, how it is used and how current it is. Decide what must move, what can be archived and what can be left behind, following your records retention requirements.
Agree on what "good" looks like for each data element, for example:
Required fields that must not be blank.
Consistent formats for dates, phone numbers, addresses and identifiers.
Standard spellings and naming for units, rooms, payers and departments.
Valid ranges and values, such as dates that make sense in sequence.
One record per person, with a single, agreed identifier.
Run reports or queries to measure how the data measures up. Typical checks include:
Duplicates. The same person entered twice with small variations in name or date of birth.
Missing values. Blank required fields, such as payer, contact or admission dates.
Inconsistent formats. Dates entered several ways, or mixed abbreviations.
Outdated records. Inactive users, closed accounts, discharged residents or former vendors still marked active.
Orphaned records. Items that refer to something no longer present.
Conflicts between systems. The same fact recorded differently in two places.
Sample records by hand too, because automated checks miss context.
You will not fix everything. Rank issues by impact:
Clinical and safety data first, such as allergies, diagnoses, medications and code status. Errors here carry the most consequences, and corrections should follow your clinical documentation policies.
Billing and compliance data next, since errors affect payment and reporting.
Everything else based on use and effort.
Assign owners for each correction, set deadlines and track progress. For clinical records, do not alter the legal record casually. Follow your facility's rules on corrections and ask the vendor how historical data is handled.
Historical data may not need to live in the new system. Define what stays active, what goes to a read-only archive and what is destroyed under your retention policy. Whatever you archive must remain secure and retrievable, since you may need it for audits, legal requests or resident record requests.
Work with the vendor to map fields from old to new. Ask how they handle mismatched fields and unusual values. Run test migrations with a sample, and have the people who know the data review the results. Repeat until errors are rare and understood.
Migration extracts often contain complete PHI sets. Store them in secured locations, limit access, use encryption in transit and at rest, and delete temporary copies when done. Confirm that vendors handling the data have signed appropriate agreements.
Build habits that stop the mess from returning: required fields, standard naming, periodic duplicate checks and clear ownership. A clean migration is a good time to establish these.
UnityCare IT supports healthcare organizations through migrations, from data inventory and quality checks to secure transfer and testing. If a move is on your calendar, a data audit now can save weeks of trouble later.
An outsourced IT department with proactive maintenance and one number to call.
Call or text: 405-285-3845
New customers: start@unitycareit.com
Existing customers: support@unitycareit.com
Address: UnityCare Technologies, 2524 N Broadway Ste 554, PMB 947974, Edmond, Oklahoma 73034-4172