Decide what moves
- Patients: names, mobiles, dates of birth, emails, addresses, Medicare and health fund details where you have them. The important one.
- Upcoming appointments: usually the next few weeks. Re-entering them is a good way for reception to learn the diary.
- Referrers: your GPs and specialists.
- Products: if you sell at the counter.
- Old notes: keep the old system read-only for reference, and write new notes in Clinidiary from the first visit after the move.
Step 1: export your patients
From Cliniko, Nookal or most systems, look for the patient export in settings and download a CSV. From a spreadsheet, make sure each column has a heading.
Step 2: load and check
Open Manage → Bring your data and choose the file. Clinidiary reads the column headings from the file itself, so "First Name", "Firstname" and "Given Name" all work.
The first pass only reads. It shows which columns were recognised and what each became, how many patients will be created, and exactly who will be set aside and why. Load it with the second button when it looks right.
- Existing patients are kept as they are. A row matching someone already in your practice is set aside and listed, not merged over the top, so you can fix a few rows and run the file again.
- Dates are read carefully. 03/04/1980 is April in Australia and March in the US. A date that could be read either way is kept for you to confirm, with its line number.
Step 3: referrers and products
Referrers load the same way and match on name, so running the file again after fixing a phone number updates instead of duplicating. Products load from a stock export with the tax set correctly. See stock and retail.
Step 4: set up how you work
- Practice details, ABN and logo; each site's address and opening hours.
- Services, prices and lengths; packs and discounts.
- Staff with the right roles.
- Note templates, starting from the set Clinidiary gives you.
- Reminder wording, tested on your own phone. See SMS reminders.
Step 5: Monday
Reception marks arrivals, invoices from the appointment and takes payments in the diary as normal. At close, check Money in today against the drawer and the terminal. Within a few days the new routine feels normal.
Leaving is as easy as arriving
You can export everything from Clinidiary yourself, any time. See patient privacy and security. For a comparison with the system you use now, see the switching software pages.
Frequently asked questions
Can I import patients from Cliniko or Nookal?
Yes. Export your patient list as a CSV and load it in Manage → Bring your data.
Will importing create duplicates?
No. A row matching an existing patient is set aside and listed for you.
How long does switching take?
A small practice can usually switch over a weekend.