MIGRATION GUIDE / RAKT
Prepare your
hospital data migration.
List the records you need to move, check how their fields match the new system, and run a trial import. Compare the results with the original records before agreeing a switch-over date.
CHECK THE IMPORTED RECORDS
Check the fields
and linked records.
- 01Inventory
Name the source and its owner.
- 02Map
Keep identifiers and relationships.
- 03Rehearse
Include awkward records, not just easy ones.
- 04Reconcile
Compare counts, totals, and usable records.
1. Inventory the sources and the permissions
List every source that contains information needed for the new workflow: the existing hospital system, spreadsheets, patient lists, catalogues, financial records, document stores, and opening stock files. Identify an owner and the permitted export method for each source.
Agree what may be transferred and who is authorised to handle it. Use a de-identified sample for the first mapping exercise where possible. Do not upload production patient data into a public website tool or an informal channel merely to accelerate an initial discussion.
2. Define scope by record type
Patient demographics, encounter history, clinical documents, item catalogues, tariffs, stock, and outstanding financial balances have different structures. Decide which are required in the new system, which need a reference archive, and which are outside the agreed migration.
Agree the migration details in writing. Name the fields, relationships, relevant date ranges, attachments, and expected volumes. Confirm what will not be moved so staff know where to find historical information after launch.
3. Map identifiers, units, and relationships
Check what each field means in the old and new systems. Identify how patient IDs, visit references, department codes, catalogue items, and related documents connect. Record how missing or conflicting identifiers will be resolved.
Check units of measure, dates, amounts, status values, and character encoding. A quantity without its unit or an amount without its financial meaning can be misleading even if the import succeeds. Define the treatment of duplicates and incomplete records before the first full run.
4. Rehearse with a representative sample
Choose a sample that includes normal records and the exceptions you already know about. Include returning patients, corrected contact details, unusual characters in names, documents, and the financial or stock cases relevant to the scope.
Import into an agreed non-production environment and review the result with the people who use the records. Follow the relationships through the application. Ask staff to find the imported records and use them to complete the agreed tasks.
5. Reconcile and record the exceptions
Compare source and destination counts by record type. Reconcile quantities and financial totals using definitions agreed with the store and finance teams. Inspect samples of the related records and documents rather than checking only the top-level patient count.
Keep an exception log with an owner and a decision for each unresolved item. Some records may need correction at source; others may require an agreed mapping or remain in a reference archive. Do not silently discard inconvenient records to make a completion count match.
6. Plan switch-over and the reference system
Agree when exports are taken, whether the old system can still change, and how work performed during the transition is handled. Decide who approves the final reconciliation and what would cause the switch-over to be postponed.
Document access to historical information that remains outside the new system and the responsibilities for retention and disposal. The appropriate arrangements depend on your organisation’s obligations and contracts. This guide is a planning checklist, not a claim that RAKT automatically imports every source format.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions about this topic.
Can every old system be migrated automatically?
No. Export access, formats, relationships, data quality, and the agreed scope determine what is possible.
Does a matching patient count prove migration is complete?
No. Check field values, identifiers, related records, documents, quantities, and financial totals as applicable.
Should we send patient data through the website?
No. The public tools need no patient data. Agree an appropriate transfer process and permissions with the implementation team.
PLAN A DEMONSTRATION
See how RAKT handles
your team’s work.
Use fictional examples or blank formats. Keep patient information out of an initial enquiry.