Import Data From Previous Systems

OutSmart EMR staff can help you to import all your data from previous systems.  We assist in the import process in order to get your data imported as quickly as possible, and with as little error as possible.  It’s important to note that we will currently only import data in CSV or Excel file formats.  Any other file formats cannot be automatically imported.

Importing Patient Demographic Data

Patient demographic data can be imported if provided in a CSV or Excel file format.  Please download the template below and copy your exported information into it.

Here are some of the formatting requirements:

• Do not import more than 1000 patients at a time in order to avoid the import page becoming unresponsive.
• First Name and Last Name are required. You must map those columns in order to proceed with the import, and any rows that are missing a first name or last name will not be imported.
• Unique Patient ID is required if you wish to also import a schedule from another software, or a patient’s charts. If you do not include a Unique Patient ID, then we cannot import any other information (schedule, charts, etc) into your account.
• Gender must be entered as one of the following words or acronyms in order to be imported correctly:Female, F, Male, M, Transgender, TG, Female to Male, F2M, Male to Female, M2F, Other, O, Agender, A, Bigender, B, Intersex, I, Gender Fluid, GF, Gender Queer, GQ, Non-Binary, NB, Pangender, P, Trans Male, TM, Trans Female, TF, Two Spirit, TS.
• Date Of Birth must follow the format YYYY-MM-DD, or it will not be imported correctly.
• Every row in the list MUST contain a Country for the patient if you want any address information to be imported.  You must also first map a Country column before mapping a Province/State column. Please ensure that your spelling for countries, provinces, and states is correct, or the import process will not be able to find a match.
• Notes in the General Notes column will be visible to all office staff, but not to patients.
• Notes in the Private Notes column will only be visible to you.
• If you have information in your export that does not seem to fit within the columns we have provided in our import template, you may need to combine some of the information together.  Contact our support staff with any questions you have regarding this.

Once your data is properly formatted, you have 2 options.  You can request an assisted import (recommended), or you can import the data yourself using the Patient List Importer.

Assisted Import

If you would like to request an assisted patient list import, please upload the import file to the Documents Module in your OutSmart account, and we will take care of the rest.  Do not send us the list via email.  See the help file here on how to upload documents.

Note: A paid subscription account is required in order to do this, as you cannot upload documents into a free subscription account.

The OutSmart team assists in the import of patient and client lists mainly to ensure that we can minimize problems during the import process.  Our team will do the actual import of the data, however you are responsible for sending us a properly formatted list so that we can perform the import. Once you have uploaded the import file, we will review the data and then perform the import.

If you have a free account, contact us first to let us know your file is ready, and we will provide other instructions on how to securely transfer your file to us.  There may be a cost associated with importing data for free account holders.

Self Import

If you prefer, and if you are confident in your ability to format the data as required by our patient list importer, then you can go ahead and import your patient list yourself.

Important Notes:

1. Your list must not contain more than 1000 patients.  If you have more than 1000 patients, you will need to split up your list into several files, and import them separately.
2. Patient list imports cannot be undone, and patient lists cannot be updated through the importer.  Make sure you triple-check your lists for errors before you start.
3. Do not try to import your patient list twice. This can result in duplicate patients in your account.  If you feel an error occurred during import, contact OutSmart support.
4. If you intend to import your schedule or SOAP charts, you MUST ensure that your patient list import includes a Patient ID, which in our system we called a Custom Patient ID. This ID in your patient list MUST match the patient IDs listed in your schedule import file, as well as your SOAP charts import file. If you do not include a Custom Patient ID in your patient list import, we will be unable to import your schedule or SOAP charts.

If you fully understand the above important notes, then you can confidently move forward with your import.

Start by ensuring that you are logged into the Main Practitioner Account, also referred to as the Owner Account.  You cannot import patients from an Admin account.  When you are properly logged in, go to the Office Details Page, and click on the Patient Importer tab at the top of the page.

Click on the Main Navigation menu, and then click on the Office Details page.

In the Office Details page, click on the Patient Importer tab at the top.

When you are there, re-read the important information, and then drag and drop your import file into the area marked “Drop Files To Upload”.  This will initiate the importer, and take you to the next step.

Mapping Column Data

In this next page, you must select the OutSmart Patient Record properties that match the columns from your import file.  If you are using the Template we provided, the mapping should be done automatically.

If you are not using our import template, Outsmart will automatically try to map the data from your file by reading the column headings, however it is important you recheck all the mapping to be certain it is accurate. Any rows highlighted in red show which columns could not be automatically matched with a property.  You’ll have to map those manually.

Mapping OutSmart Patient Record properties to the columns in your patient list import file.

Once you are done with the column mapping, re-check your work, and then click on the Preview Data Mapping Results button, to see how a sample of data from your import file will be mapped.

Click on Preview Data Mapping Results to see how the data from your import file will be read by Outsmart during the import process.

Patient List Import Review

Once you click on the Preview Data Mapping button, you will be presented with a list with the first 10 rows of your patient list import file, along with the headers they were mapped to.  Pay close attention to the instructions above the mapping list in order to see whether or not the mapping was successful.

A sample of how your patient list import file data will map into Outsmart Patient Record properties

Once you have reviewed the mapping preview, if all appears to be acceptable, then you can click on the Proceed with import button to run your import.

If there are any issues with the import, you will be notified of which rows are affected.  This will allow you to correct any errors and create a new import file if needed containing only the rows that were not imported.  Do not attempt to import the same patient list twice, as this can result in duplicate patients.  Instead, contact OutSmart support for assistance if you need to re-import your entire list.

Importing Inventory Lists

If you are able to produce an excel spreadsheet of your inventory items, you can send us an e-mail and request that we import your list for you.  Our team will do one free inventory import per clinic, so if you have hundreds of items to enter into the system, this may be the fastest and easiest solution for you.  To avail yourself of this service, simply download our Excel CSV template listed below, and fill out as many of the fields as possible.  You can then send that to us via e-mail and we will take care of the rest!

Importing Your Schedule

Your Schedule can be imported into your OutSmart calendar ONLY if you are also requesting the import of your patient demographic data.  Download the file below and ensure to fill it out while following these requirements:

• You must also request a patient demographic import.
• Your patient demographic data must contain a unique patient ID which matches the patient ID in your list of events to be imported.
• Start and End times for appointments must be with reference to a specific Timezone, which will need to be provided.
• Start and End time must be in the format YYYY-MM-DD HH:SS.  Example: 2019-12-25 18:00

Importing Previous Charts

Previous charts can be imported into OutSmart EMR automatically only if provided in Excel or CSV format.  If your previous charts are in PDF format, we cannot automatically import the data.  Instead, it will have to be manually imported, one patient at a time.

We do not provide a specific import template for medical charts.  Please contact us to discuss if you would like us to import your medical charts from another EMR.