A healthcare organization may consider their electronic health record (EHR) system migration successful if providers can access complete, accurate patient information in the new EHR the moment they need it, without missing a beat.

But that success depends on more than simply moving data from one system to another. Not all data can be transferred electronically or in an automated way. The complexity of clinical records requires human expertise to interpret legacy data, determine what matters, and perform migration with validation and quality assurance.

This process is known as medical data abstraction, and it’s the critical bridge between your old and new EHR systems.

Why Does Medical Data Abstraction Matter in EHR Migration?

When healthcare organizations move to a new EHR system, the goal isn’t just to transfer data — it’s to preserve the valuable components of the patient story. Clinical notes, lab results, and more contribute to that story, but not every note or result. Medical data abstraction ensures only the right data moves to the new system and none of it gets lost in the transfer.

Medical data abstraction is the process of manually or semi-automatically evaluating and migrating patient information from the old EHR to the new one. It requires trained professionals with clinical knowledge who can interpret data and decide what’s most important to move.

Accurate data abstraction protects continuity of care and ensures providers have complete, up-to-date patient information when they need it. But when it’s done slapdash, hurriedly, or without an expert, you risk missing data during appointments, frustrated clinicians, non-compliance, and higher costs to fix preventable mistakes.

How Medical Data Abstraction Works

Here’s a look at the process:

Step 1: Round Up Your Resources
Before starting the project, you’ll need to assemble the right team. Choose a project lead to oversee governance, abstractors to transfer records, quality assurance staff to verify accuracy, and reporting specialists to monitor progress as you go.

Since abstraction can’t be completed entirely electronically, many organizations also partner with a medical data abstraction service provider that combines clinical expertise with proprietary software to help speed up and secure the process.

Step 2: Map Your Timeline and Budget
Timing is key when it comes to migrating EHR data. Make sure to consider:

• How much capacity your staff has to dedicate to the project
• When the patient data has to be in the new system
• How much extra you’ll pay while performing abstraction internally

Moving data too early can cause discrepancies if appointments occur in the meantime, so set clear parameters for which data moves when to keep the project aligned with operational needs.

Step 3: Evaluate Your Data
Not all patient data can or should be moved. Some elements can transfer electronically, while others might require manual abstraction. Determine which data supports clinical decision-making, regulatory reporting, or patient safety, and prioritize those records first.

Step 4: Locate Your Data
Moving data is rarely as straightforward as organizations expect, especially when providers record notes in multiple locations across multiple facilities. Before migration, review your existing EHR and workflows to understand where all relevant data lives and identify any differences in terminology to standardize data in the new system.

Step 5: Perform Abstraction and QA
Abstractors can start transferring patient data into the new EHR while your quality assurance team:

• Corrects issues in patient records
• Identifies common or repeated mistakes
• Trains team members who are struggling
• Leverages tools to ensure data quality

You don’t want to wait for a patient to come into your facility to see if their data is in your new system, which is why performing abstraction and QA together is essential.

Step 6: Track Your Progress
Regular reporting helps your teams track progress along the project timeline, stay within budget, and remain compliant with regulations like HIPAA. Depending on your organization’s needs, you might consider generating daily, weekly, and/or monthly reports for visibility throughout project completion.

When Do You Need External Support?

Internal teams are invaluable during data abstraction projects, but they often face competing priorities. Patient care comes first, and rightly so. That’s why many healthcare organizations turn to external data abstraction partners to handle the heavy lifting.

These professionals bring the specialized training, scalability, and dedicated time needed to complete migration projects efficiently. They leverage proprietary software and proven quality assurance processes to ensure every one of your records is verified and correctly entered into the new EHR.

Medical data abstraction is the bridge between your old EHR and your new one, and planning for it at the start of your migration can help you avoid delays, frustration, and costly rework later. Does your migration strategy include a clear abstraction plan — and the expertise to execute it? Get a free assessment from GuideIT to find out.