What to Know Before You Run a Patient File Transfer in ChiroTouch

Multi-location practices, office consolidations, and provider transitions all create a need to move individual patient records from one ChiroTouch database to another. ChiroTouch's Patient File Transfer feature handles this one patient at a time, bundling the patient's front-desk information, patient notes, treatment notes, and any attached records—videos, photos, X-rays, and documents—into a single folder on the server. It is important to understand what does not travel with that bundle: chart notes, diagnoses, charges, ledger entries, insurance information, and appointment history remain in the source database. If your receiving office expects any of those elements, plan for manual re-entry or a separate data process before you begin the transfer.

Before either office touches the Patient File Transfer button, ChiroTouch technical support must configure both installations. That configuration enables the transfer button on the Front Desk's Patient Information screen and designates a local folder where the patient-file bundle will be written. The default path referenced in ChiroTouch documentation is C:\Program Files (x86)\PSChiro\Database\Patient_File_Transfer, but your support team may set a different destination. Both the exporting and the receiving office need this setup completed; if the receiving side has not been configured, the import step will not be available. Coordinate with your ChiroTouch support representative on both locations before scheduling the transfer, and confirm the folder path on each server so staff know exactly where to look for the resulting directory.

The export workflow is straightforward once setup is in place. Select the patient in Front Desk, click Patient File Transfer, choose Export, and check at least one data category in the Export Options section—the system will not proceed without a selection. After confirming, ChiroTouch gathers the chosen data into a new folder named with your practice's License ID and displays a report that includes a username and a one-time password. Share those credentials with the receiving office, because they are required during import. You can also save the export report as a PDF, Excel spreadsheet, or Rich Text file for your records, or email it as an attachment. On the receiving side, the staff member places the patient-file folder into their own designated transfer directory, opens Patient File Transfer, selects Import, enters the credentials you provided, and completes the pull. A confirmation screen shows the results once the data has landed in the local ChiroTouch database.

Because a patient file transfer reorganizes data across two separate databases, it is wise to verify that you have a current, restorable snapshot of both environments before you start. Whether you use ChiroBackup to schedule automated backups of your ChiroTouch server or rely on a manual copy routine, confirm that the most recent backup completed successfully and that you can actually restore from it. This is not about the transfer feature itself—it works as designed—but about protecting the rest of your practice data while staff are focused on a migration. After the import is complete, spot-check the receiving patient's file: confirm that notes, treatment plans, and attached documents are present, and note any gaps that fall outside the transfer scope (diagnoses, charges, insurance) so your team can address them on a known timeline. A short verification checklist, saved alongside the export report, keeps accountability clear between the two offices and gives your ChiroTouch support team a concrete reference if anything looks unexpected.

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