Retired. EMR data extract provided can't be read. Advice on how to cheaply view only records sought

[pastafan]

I retired and after months my old EMR provided me with a collection of .csv files with all of my chart data scrambled. I don't want to spend thousands every year to access charts a few times a year at most.

Is there some way to view my files unscrambled? How have others handles this situation? Is there a free/really cheap EMR that can be used to import and view my records? Any suggestions for a reasonable IT person who could assist me?

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[Aether2000]

CSV files can usually be opened in Excel then saved as an Excel spreadsheet. Searching data in an Excel spreadsheet is relatively simple.

 

[hyperalgesia]

I retired and after months my old EMR provided me with a collection of .csv files with all of my chart data scrambled. I don't want to spend thousands every year to access charts a few times a year at most.

Is there some way to view my files unscrambled? How have others handles this situation? Is there a free/really cheap EMR that can be used to import and view my records? Any suggestions for a reasonable IT person who could assist me?

It depends what you mean by scrambled. Is the data encrypted/unreadable?

csv is a standard, searchable format and it's ideal that you have that on your own computer.

There is zero indication for another EMR at this point or for any monthly service for that matter.

 

[pastafan]

It is not encrypted but individual patient files are spread over multiple separate spreadsheets.

 

[pastafan]

There are tens of thousands of lines like this

 

[lobelsteve]

Hostage.

 

[hyperalgesia]

It is not encrypted but individual patient files are spread over multiple separate spreadsheets.

What you have is a relational database file. It's the holy grail of data. This format is used in finance and countless other applications.

If it were me, I would write a script in php or python that could parse through the csv file and collate everything into formatted pdf documents. That's actually what I did with my EMR records. But I'm sure there is existing software that can do it.

I would start by opening the file in MS Excel or Access and taking a tiny part of it off - a few lines - and saving as a new csv file. Then you can tinker with that file without breaking your system with a massive file.

Converting CSV data into multiple PDF files

What I am looking for boils down to being able to import customer order data in csv format, and be able to export individual orders into PDF file. I currently have a bunch of data that is in cvs format, and I would like to be able to convert it into multiple pdf files. I would like each one...

www.excelforum.com

In a worst case scenario, you can pay someone to convert the file for you.

 

[pastafan]

What you have is a relational database file. It's the holy grail of data. This format is used in finance and countless other applications.

If it were me, I would write a script in php or python that could parse through the csv file and collate everything into formatted pdf documents. That's actually what I did with my EMR records. But I'm sure there is existing software that can do it.

I would start by opening the file in MS Excel or Access and taking a tiny part of it off - a few lines - and saving as a new csv file. Then you can tinker with that file without breaking your system with a massive file.

Converting CSV data into multiple PDF files

What I am looking for boils down to being able to import customer order data in csv format, and be able to export individual orders into PDF file. I currently have a bunch of data that is in cvs format, and I would like to be able to convert it into multiple pdf files. I would like each one...

www.excelforum.com

In a worst case scenario, you can pay someone to convert the file for you.

Obviously above my pay grade. Any suggestions on how to find right It person to handle this?

 

[hyperalgesia]

Obviously above my pay grade. Any suggestions on how to find right It person to handle this?

You could try this company

Records and Document Management | SourceAmerica®

productsservices.sourceamerica.org

Is this ONLY csv files or other file types as well? How big is/are the file/s (ie 2gb)?

Don't stress about this.

 

[pastafan]

I think only csv. Aroung 30 gigs. That company looks awesome

 

[deleted131481]

Just curious is this just to provide patient records if requested? How do most retirees handle this issue?

 

[BobBarker]

Just curious is this just to provide patient records if requested? How do most retirees handle this issue?

Yes, I was wondering this as well. Just give the records away. “If calling for medical records, these are available at Dr Bob’s office” who has taken possession of the records for free...

 

[hyperalgesia]

Yes, I was wondering this as well. Just give the records away. “If calling for medical records, these are available at Dr Bob’s office” who has taken possession of the records for free...

When I closed my practice, I asked around and no one wanted my wonderful patients even though I had only 1-2 pts on Tramadol.

It was probably karma because when I first started my practice, another pain practice was closing and asked me to take their records. On further investigation, the records had already been fingered through and the only ones left were patients on high dose opiods in the setting of SA and police problems, etc.

 

[pastafan]

Just curious is this just to provide patient records if requested? How do most retirees handle this issue?

Yes, just to provide records. I retired the end of December. I sent letters in November and set up a gmail account where patients could request their records. I had half a dozen patients request their records and they were sent. No patients in practice on opiates.

My EMR company had me under contract until September this year and it was costing me $600/month. It feels like the Mafia; EMR once in you can't get out....

 

[Aether2000]

The numbers of requests will gradually dwindle to near zero. I am 3 years out of pain practice and we now get zero requests during the past year. The first few months, we were getting 20 requests per week.

The transmitted data does not have to be in a format that is acceptable to the recipient, so if you need to simply transfer data, you may be able to highlight the CSV rows of data you want, copy and paste to an Excel spreadsheet, save as Excel file, then you can clean up the data by highlighting the column of dates and paste to an Excel column, then highlight the corresponding data and paste in the column next to the date column. Then send the date/data only via email to the new practice (making sure you use an encrypted email system to meet HIPAA compliance). If you want to combine cell data in Excel from several cells into one, there are formulas (Concat) or use the ampersand sign to do so.

Alternatively you can use a php script but will not only need to hire someone to do this for your database (I could not find anyone to do this for mine), and they must be available to troubleshoot in case the script doesn't work for all parts of your database (may be errors in the data that makes the script not work).

Alternatively, you can continue paying for the EMR for 6 months to access the vast majority of records requests.