What should I check before signing up for clinic software?

Whether you can export all your patient data yourself, at any time and without paying, and what the export includes.

What does the Vaidya OS export include?

An Excel file with one row per patient: contact details, condition and outcome, last visit, follow-up date, current medicines and remarks.

How long should I run both tools?

At least one full follow-up cycle, so every returning patient has been seen once in the new tool before you cancel the old one.

Answers

Choosing clinic software

Can I switch clinic software and take my patients with me?

Last reviewed: 26 September 2026 Gaurav, Founder, Vaidya OS

Quick answer

Yes, if your current software lets you export your patient data. Check this before you sign up for any tool: can you download your patients yourself, at any time, without paying? If a vendor charges for your data or will not give it to you, your patient list is effectively theirs.

In this answer

Before you sign up: check the export
How to switch
An example switch
Common problems
Switching to Vaidya OS

Switching software is easy if you planned for it, and painful if you did not.

Before you sign up: check the export

Can you export all your patients yourself, without asking support?
What does the export include: contact details only, or visits and prescriptions too?
Is there a charge?
Can you still export after you stop paying?

Get the answers in writing.

How to switch

Export from the old tool. Open the file and check that every patient is there and names display correctly.
Set up the new tool and bring your patient list across.
Run both for a few weeks. New visits go into the new tool; use the old one only to look things up.
Cancel the old tool once you are confident.
Keep the export file safely as a backup.

An example switch

Friday evening: export your patient list from the old tool and open the file to check it.
Over the weekend: send the file to the new vendor, or import it yourself, and spot-check ten patients you know well.
Monday: start every new visit in the new tool. Keep the old one open only to look up past visits.
After one full follow-up cycle: once every returning patient has been seen in the new tool, cancel the old one and keep the export file.

Common problems

Missing fields. Some exports leave out custom fields or notes.
Broken names. Names in Indian languages can break if the file is not saved in UTF-8.
Phone formats. Standardise on one format, such as +91 followed by the number.
Date formats. DD/MM and MM/DD mix-ups scramble visit dates.

Switching to Vaidya OS

Send us your Excel or CSV file and our team will move up to 5,000 records in for you, free. You can export your Vaidya OS patient list to Excel at any time.