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Moving Your Physio Clinic from Paper, Excel or Old Software

The biggest reason clinics stay on registers and Excel is the fear of moving. "We have three years of patients in there. What if we lose something? What if the front desk can't manage on Monday?" The move is much smaller than it looks. A small physio clinic can usually switch over a weekend and start Monday on the new system. This guide gives you the plan.

By the Clinidiary team · Updated · 4 min read

Before you start: decide what moves

You do not need to move everything. Decide what is actually useful:

  • Patients: names, mobile numbers, dates of birth, email, address. This is the important one.
  • Upcoming appointments: usually just the next two or three weeks. Re-entering them by hand is often quickest, and it is a good way for the front desk to learn the diary.
  • Referring doctors: your list of referrers.
  • Products: your stock list, if you sell braces and supports.
  • Old notes: keep the old system or the paper files for reference. Start new notes in Clinidiary from the first visit after the move.

Step 1: get your patient list into a file

  • From Excel: you already have it. Make sure each column has a heading, like "First name", "Mobile", "Date of birth".
  • From other software: look for "Export" or "Download patients" in its settings. A CSV or Excel file is what you want.
  • From a register: type the active patients, the ones seen in the last year or so, into Excel. It is a few hours of work and worth it.

Step 2: load it into Clinidiary

Open Manage → Bring your data and choose your file. Clinidiary reads the column headings from the file itself, so it works whether your file says "First Name", "Firstname" or "Given Name".

The first pass only reads the file. It shows you:

  • which columns were recognised, and what each one became;
  • how many patients will be created;
  • exactly who will be set aside, and why.

When it looks right, load it with the second button.

Nobody already on your list is changed

If a row matches a patient you already have, it is set aside and listed for you, not merged over the top. So you can fix a few rows in Excel and run the file again safely.

Dates are read carefully

03/04/1980 is the 3rd of April in India and the 4th of March in some other countries. If a date could be read two ways, Clinidiary keeps it for you to confirm and gives you the line number, so every date of birth is the one you meant.

Step 3: referrers and products

Load your list of doctors the same way. They match on name, so running the file again after fixing a phone number updates them instead of adding duplicates. Products load from a stock file with the GST set correctly on the way in. See doctor referrals and letters and stock and retail.

Step 4: set up how your clinic works

  1. Your clinic details, GSTIN and logo, and each branch's address and opening hours.
  2. Your services and prices, with how long each takes.
  3. Your packages. See treatment packages.
  4. Your staff, with the right role for each person.
  5. Your note templates, starting from the set Clinidiary gives you.
  6. Your reminder wording, and a test to your own phone. See WhatsApp appointment reminders.

Step 5: the first Monday

  • Re-enter the week's appointments on Saturday, or ask the front desk to do it as their training.
  • On Monday, the front desk marks arrivals, bills from the appointment and takes payments as normal.
  • Physios write notes in Clinidiary from the first visit.
  • At the end of the day, check Money in today against the drawer and UPI.

Within a few days, the new routine feels normal.

Run the old and new side by side? Usually not

Keeping two systems running "just in case" means everything is done twice and neither is complete. Move on a weekend, keep the old system read-only for looking things up, and commit to the new one.

Your data stays yours

You can export everything from Clinidiary, yourself, whenever you like: patients, appointments, notes and bills. Moving in is easy, and so is leaving, which is how it should be.

If you are still choosing software, read the buyer's guide. Opening a new clinic? See the software checklist for a new physiotherapy clinic.

Frequently asked questions

Can I import my patients from Excel?

Yes. Save the patient list as a CSV or Excel file and load it in Manage → Bring your data. Clinidiary reads your column headings and shows you what will happen before anything is loaded.

Will importing create duplicate patients?

No. A row matching an existing patient is set aside and listed for you, not added again.

How long does it take to move a physio clinic to new software?

A small clinic can usually move over a weekend: import patients on Saturday, set up services and staff, and start on Monday.

Do I need to move my old notes?

Usually not. Keep the old records for reference and start new notes in Clinidiary from the first visit after the move.