1. What vendors mean by free migration
The word is consistent; the scope is not. Here is how a few vendors describe it on their own pricing pages, as read in October 2026:
| Vendor | What the pricing page says |
|---|---|
| Jane | No additional costs for data imports; imports booked about 10 days ahead |
| DrChrono | Migration “dependent upon the format of the data to be transferred” |
| Zenoti | White-glove migration support; no fee stated |
| Aminova | Moving your data from your current system is part of the $250 activation on Prescribing |
None of these tells you which records arrive, in what shape. That is the question to ask.
2. The five layers of a migration
Each layer is harder than the one before, and a cheap migration stops early.
| Layer | What moves | Typically included in a basic migration? |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Roster | Names, dates of birth, contact details, emergency contacts | Almost always |
| 2. Schedule | Past and future appointments | Usually |
| 3. Documents | PDFs, scans, signed notes, photos, filed to the right chart | Sometimes, often in one folder |
| 4. Structured clinical data | Allergies, medication lists, vitals, lab values that can be trended | Rarely |
| 5. Forms and consents | Intake questionnaires and consents rebuilt as live, signable forms | Almost never |
A migration that stops at layer 2 gives you a working calendar and an empty chart. Layer 3 done badly gives you every document in one pile. Layer 4 is where clinical value lives, and where the traps are, such as a “no known allergies” entry being imported as an allergy.
3. What Aminova’s data move includes
All five layers, as far as your old system’s export allows. We extract your data from your current system, migrate it, clean it and validate every record.
Rules map the columns they recognise; AI suggests matches for the leftovers from the file and column names only, never patient rows; a person approves every match. Scanned documents are read on the first page and filed to the right chart folder when the match is confident. PDF intake forms are rebuilt as live forms, and consent PDFs get their signature, initials and date fields placed for e-signature. The full method is in how AI imports your old EMR, forms and consents.
Nothing is final until you have opened charts and compared them with the old system. If a file arrives in a format we cannot read, such as a raw database backup, we name it and tell you what to ask your old vendor for instead.
4. What usually gets left behind
What was never in the export, and what the export holds only as a picture.
Measurements typed into note text rather than a vitals field stay in the note. Lab results that were uploaded as PDFs stay PDFs until someone reviews them. Message threads, claim history and old prescriptions are often not worth importing as live data, and are better kept as a record. Ask for the full export in standard formats, plus the original PDF of every form and consent you use, before you cancel the old system.
5. Questions to ask before you accept a free migration
Six questions, in writing.
| Question | A good answer |
|---|---|
| Which of the five layers do you move? | A list, by layer, for your old system |
| What arrives as data, and what as PDF? | Named record types, not “everything” |
| Who checks the result, and how? | Counts against the export, then you check charts |
| Can we review before we go live? | Yes, with a way to undo |
| What happens on a second import? | Existing patients are recognised, not duplicated |
| Is there a fee if it takes longer? | A clear answer before you sign |
And confirm the exit as well as the arrival: on Aminova, a full export of your data is free at any time, including after you leave. See month-to-month EMR with no long-term contract.
6. Frequently asked questions
Is EMR data migration usually free?
Many vendors advertise it as free or included, but the scope varies from a patient list to full charts. Ask which records move as data, which as PDFs, and which not at all.
Is data migration free on Aminova?
It is included in the $250 activation on the Prescribing plan, which also covers account and e-prescribing setup. It is not a separate fee.
What data can be migrated to a new EMR?
Patient demographics, appointments, documents, structured clinical data such as allergies and labs, and forms and consents, as far as the old system’s export allows.
How long does an EMR data migration take?
Most Aminova clinics are live within days; the timeline depends mostly on how quickly the old system produces its export.
What should I get from my old EMR before switching?
A full export in standard formats such as CSV, plus the original PDFs of every form and consent you use, before you cancel.