Data Import

You can import active patient data when setting up your new Kipu EMR Instance to bring information from a previous EMR. No two EMRs store their data identically, so there are a few steps involved to ensure that your data is imported correctly.

Important: Kipu imports current census only (active patients). We do not import historical or inactive patients. Historical patients include those with a discharge date or no admission date. It is also important to note that Kipu does not perform data imports if there are fewer than 50 patients in the original records. For 50 or fewer records, we recommend manual entry.

Here are the four data types we most commonly discuss:

Census/Demographics & Contact Information	Documents (PDFs)	Clinical Data Elements (Kipu does not currently support the import of this data)	Financial/RCM Data (Kipu does not currently support the import of this data)
Name Street Address Date of Birth Social Security Number Marital Status Gender Phone Email Race Insurance Admission Date Discharge Date	Uploaded as attachments	Level of care Medications MAT Orders Insurance Authorizations Discharge Disposition Care Team	Claims Insurance Payments/adjustments Client Payments

Must-Knows Before Importing Data

• Kipu imports only active patients. Historical or inactive patients will not be imported and must be retained in your prior system or another archive.
• Do not use your Kipu instance (no admissions, chart edits, or updates) while your import is in progress. Using the system during import may cause duplicated or overwritten data.
• For Option 1 (Kipu’s Template Spreadsheet): Files should be limited to about 1,000 patient rows. Larger files must be split before sending. (This limit does not apply to KCI Data Extract Imports.)
• Each import is offered as a one-time service. If an update needs to be made to the originally submitted import data this service may come at an additional charge.
• Kipu treats a single episode of care as one patient chart per admission and discharge
• Fields such as Patient ID, State ID, and CID need to be enabled in the Instance settings before uploading into Kipu. Discuss these fields with your Implementation Specialist if you have any questions.
• Programs, levels of care, race, ethnicity, marital status, and similar list fields must be configured in Kipu and must match your spreadsheet exactly, or records may be skipped or assigned incorrectly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a data import necessary?

No. While some people choose to keep their current EMR for functionality or service reasons, many people make a change in EMR just to get a clean start with their data. If you’re not confident in your data integrity – its accuracy, its relevancy, etc. – then we recommend that you do not start with a data import and instead, enter your data directly into Kipu.

Note: If you want to transfer information from an existing Kipu instance into a different Kipu instance, this is not considered a data import. Please see the section below for more information.

What types of import files does Kipu accept?

• These file formats are eligible for import: 
  • .rpt
  • .txt
  • .csv
  • .xls
  • .html
• Not eligible: 
  • proprietary database backup files
• PDFs are imported as PDFs (data is not extracted from them)

What if my data is split between multiple files or columns? Will Kipu merge/reconcile them for me?

As long as all files are of an eligible type (listed above), Kipu will evaluate the data to see if it is compatible for import.

How do I get data from my previous software?

• For Option 1 (Kipu’s Template Spreadsheet): Kipu does not merge, reconcile, or compile files. If your data is exported into multiple files, your team (or your vendor/aggregator) must combine them into one spreadsheet and ensure there is only one row per active patient.
• For KCI Data Extract Imports: You may submit your vendor’s export file(s) as provided. KCI imports are not subject to file-size or file-merging requirements.

Will Kipu fix or clean my data?

• Option 1: Kipu checks formatting only. We do not clean data, remove duplicates, correct values, or combine files.
• KCI Import: KCI maps the vendor’s export into Kipu format but does not correct or clean data. Clients are responsible for validating accuracy before the import.

Which Data Import option is right for you?

Your Implementation specialist will review these options with you and help you select the best fit.

Kipu Standard Template Spreadsheet	KCI Import	No Data Import
You have under 100 patients	You have over 100 patients	You have no patient data
You are worried about the accuracy of your data	Your data is clean and up-to-date	You cannot get any data exports from your current EMR system
Your data extract is in an incompatible format	You have a data extract from Sunwave, BestNotes, or ZenCharts	Your data extracts are unclean, and you do not want to manually enter the data into the Kipu Standard template spreadsheet
You would like the import to be done within 2 weeks (this timeframe begins when our data team has confirmed that the data is eligible for import)	You can wait 1 week (this timeframe begins when our data team has confirmed that the data is eligible for import)	You cannot wait for Kipu to import your data
You must use Kipu’s official template and follow its validation rules, including file-size limits and one-row-per-patient requirements.	KCI imports are not subject to file-size limits or file-merging rules.

Option 1: Kipu's Import Template Spreadsheet

1. Inform your implementation specialist that you would like to import data using the import template spreadsheet and they will send you a copy.
2. Review each column carefully for requirements before entering data.
3. Copy and paste data from the current system, and existing spreadsheets, or manually type data into Kipu's import spreadsheet in the required format. When pasting data into the template, use Paste as plain text so that validation rules continue to work.

4. Fill out all required fields for each row, obeying any formatting requirements. The following fields are required:

   Default: Admission Date First Name Last Name MR Number Birth Sex SSN (only if the SSN required setting is enabled) Date of Birth Street Address City State Zip Code Payment Method Allergies

   If Payment Method is Not Private Pay: Insurance Payer Subscriber ID Effective Date Patient Relationship to Subscriber Subscriber First Name Subscriber Last Name Date of Birth Gender Subscriber Address 1 Subscriber City Subscriber State Subscriber Zip

   If Adding Patient Contact Information: Contact Full Name Contact Relationship Contact Phone

5. Only include the data that you want imported in the spreadsheet. 
   • Exclude historical or inactive patients (e.g., discharged or no admission date).
   • Ensure only one row per patient using your Unique Patient Identifier.
   • Programs, levels of care, race, ethnicity, marital status, and other list fields must match Kipu settings exactly.
   • Do not include comma-separated values in a single cell, except for ICD-10 diagnosis codes.
   • Ensure MR# and Location ID are complete.
   • Limit files to approximately 1,000 rows; split larger files before sending.
   • Kipu does not clean, merge, split, or reconcile files for this option.
6. Once your spreadsheet is filled out, your implementation specialist will provide you with a private folder where you can upload it.
7. Your implementation specialist will schedule a meeting with you to review your spreadsheet for formatting, required fields, and template compliance. If issues are found, the file will be returned for correction. Kipu does not fix or clean client data.
8. Once all errors are corrected, your data upload will begin and your implementation specialist will let you know when it is ready.

Note: Since Kipu cannot know whether or not the data is accurate, it is your organization's responsibility to ensure accuracy before submitting the spreadsheet to Kipu.

Option 2: Kipu's "KCI" Data Extract Import

1. Inform the Implementation Specialist you would like to move forward with this data import option.
2. Ask your vendor for a CSV export of patient demographics.
3. Review the export file from your vendor to validate that the information looks complete and accurate. Kipu is unable to validate this for you.
4. Once you are satisfied with the export, let your implementation specialist know you are ready to deliver the file. They will provide you with a secure SFTP folder in which to upload the file.
5. Let your implementation specialist know that the file has been uploaded.
6. Kipu will map your vendor's data to the Kipu data fields in a separate sample file and deliver this file to you for your validation.
7. Kipu will do a sample import of 50-100 patients. We will inform you after the sample import is completed and have you log in to your Kipu instance to confirm the charts look correct.
8. Upon your approval, Kipu will import the remaining patient charts.
9. Then use the instructions for importing PDF files below.

Note: Sometimes clients have conflicting admit and discharge dates (ex: the discharge date is before the admission date). Clients with these errors will not be imported.

PDF File Import

A PDF import is different from a demographic import and can only be used if you have fewer than 100 patients.

If you'd like Kipu to include PDF attachments on patient charts, keep the following points in mind:

1. PDF file imports must take place after the patient already exists in Kipu and has a unique identifier.
2. Ask Kipu to provide a secure SFTP folder to you.
3. In the SFTP folder, create a separate folder for each patient called "FIRSTNAME-LASTNAME-MR#" (MR# can be replaced with another unique identifier if applicable).
4. Drop each patient's files into their folder. Kipu does not validate your documents for appropriate file placement so make sure that the files are in the right folder.
5. Let Kipu know once all PDFs are uploaded and ready for import.
6. Kipu will import your PDFs within one week.

What if I want to copy data from an existing Kipu instance?

After your import is completed, your Implementation Specialist will provide you a post-import validation checklist.

What if I want to copy data from an existing Kipu Instance?

Kipu offers various options based on your needs:

• Mirror: Does not include any PHI. Mirroring copies an existing configuration, or set of forms, to a different instance or location.
• Migration: Moves an existing instance OR location, with its configuration, forms, and PHI to a new instance or location.

These services are not considered data imports. Please contact your CSM or speak to your Implementation Specialist if you are interested in either of these services.