Who owns the patient record data in the clinic's software?

Under the LGPD, the clinic is the controller: it decides on data processing. The software vendor is the processor and handles the data according to the clinic's instructions (art. 39). The patient has the right to access their own record, under COFFITO and CFP rules.

How do you export patient records from the old system?

Ask the vendor in writing for a full export: patients, future schedule, progress notes, assessments, attachments and finance. Require an open format, such as CSV for data and a PDF per patient for reading, and check a sample before canceling the contract.

How long must a physical therapy or psychology clinic keep records?

COFFITO (Resolution 414/2012) and CFP (Resolution 001/2009) require at least 5 years from the last entry. Law 13.787/2018 sets 20 years for digitized or electronic patient records. When in doubt, keep them for the longer period.

Do electronic dental records need certification?

To go paperless, yes. CFO Resolution 91/2009 requires a system that meets the NGS2 level of the CFM/SBIS manual, with an ICP-Brasil digital signature. Electronic records must be kept permanently, and paper records for 10 years.

How long does it take to switch clinic software?

It depends on the volume and the export format. A planned switch goes through inventory, a test export, migration of the future schedule, a parallel period and a sample check. Plan for a few weeks of parallel running, with the old system read-only.

How to switch clinic software without losing patient records

By Victor Ferreira · October 26, 2026 · 7 min read

To switch clinic software without losing patient records, export everything before signing with the new vendor and check a sample. Keep the exported file for the period your profession requires. Run both systems in parallel until the future schedule and the progress notes match.

Who owns the data when the clinic switches software?

The data belongs to the clinic and the patients, not the vendor. Under the LGPD, the clinic is the controller, that is, the one who decides on data processing (art. 5º, VI). The software vendor is the processor, which handles the data on the clinic's behalf (art. 5º, VII).

This has three practical consequences.

The processor follows the clinic. Art. 39 requires the processor to handle data according to the controller's instructions. Asking for a full export is an instruction.
The data is sensitive. Health data is sensitive personal data (art. 5º, II) and can only be processed in the cases listed in art. 11. The switch requires care with who downloads, stores and sends the file.
The patient has access. The physical therapy record belongs to the patient and must be available to them (COFFITO 414/2012, art. 4º). In psychology, the client has full access to what was recorded (CFP 001/2009, art. 5º, II).

A clinic that loses access to the old system remains responsible for keeping the records. That is why the export goes into the new system's contract and also into the termination of the old one.

Switching is the common case, not the rare one. According to Cetic.br's TIC Saúde 2025, 92% of healthcare facilities already use an electronic system to record patient information. For most facilities, choosing a system today means switching systems.

How long must the clinic keep patient records?

At least 5 years from the last entry in physical therapy and psychology. The 2018 law sets 20 years for digitized or electronic records, and dentistry requires permanent retention of electronic records. When in doubt, keep them for the longer period.

Profession	Rule	Minimum retention period	Electronic format
Physical therapy and occupational therapy	COFFITO 414/2012, art. 6º	5 years from the last entry	Accepted; full name and CREFITO number right after each entry (art. 2º)
Psychology	CFP 001/2009, art. 4º	5 years	Accepted, on paper or computerized (art. 1º)
Dentistry	CFO 91/2009, arts. 7º and 8º	Permanent for electronic; 10 years for paper	Paperless only with an NGS2 system and ICP-Brasil signature (arts. 3º and 5º)
Patient records in general	Law 13.787/2018, art. 6º	20 years from the last entry	Also applies to documents created electronically (§ 5º)

Nutrition, aesthetic biomedicine and nursing have their own rules, which this text does not cover. Check with your profession's council.

The retention period changes the switch. The clinic needs to keep the exported file in a secure place, not just the new system. If the new system doesn't import some data, the old file covers the retention.

What should you ask the current system for before signing with the new one?

Ask for the full export in writing, with format, deadline and a list of what is included. Then open the file and check five patients you know, from registration to the last attachment.

Data	Format that works	Why it matters
Patient registry	CSV, with CPF, phone and contact opt-in	Without it, nothing links up in the new system
Future schedule	CSV, with provider, date, time and status	It is what stops the clinic on day one
Progress notes and assessments	CSV to import and a PDF per patient to read	It is the record itself, with mandatory retention
Attachments (tests, photos, consent forms)	Original files, with an index per patient	The export articles we read don't say whether they are included
Packages and balances	CSV, with sessions used and remaining	Without them, the patient loses a paid session
Open finance items	CSV, with due date and status	Avoids charging twice or failing to charge
Access log	CSV or PDF	Shows who viewed the record, if there is a dispute

Some vendors publish the path. iClinic's help center describes exporting patients, records, schedule and finance as CSV or XLS, done only by the administrator. Clínica nas Nuvens's describes a CSV with all data, within 1 day, and the record as a PDF per patient.

Neither article says whether attachments are included in the file. That is the point to ask about in writing, with any system.

How do you make the switch in five steps without stopping the schedule?

Start with the future schedule, keep the old system read-only for a few weeks and cancel after the check. This order ensures the front desk knows, from day one, who is coming tomorrow.

Inventory. List providers, rooms, services, packages, assessment templates and integrations (WhatsApp, Pix, invoicing). Whatever is not on the list disappears in the switch.
Test export. Ask for a full export before closing the new contract. Import it into the new system and check five patients.
Future schedule first. Migrate the bookings for the next 60 days and the packages with a balance. From an agreed date, the front desk books only in the new system.
Parallel period. The old system stays open read-only, while the new one receives the progress notes. Close this period when lookups in the old one stop.
Check and retention. Compare the counts of patients, sessions and attachments on both sides. Keep the exported file, with restricted access, for your profession's retention period.

Train providers on the new progress note template before day one. It changes the routine of those who write in the records every day.

How do you choose the new system so you don't go through this again?

Choose based on what happens at the exit, not just at the entrance. A system that is easy to use and hard to leave repeats the problem at the next switch.

Export from the dashboard itself. The clinic downloads everything without opening a ticket, in an open format, whenever it wants.
Attachments included. Tests, photos and consent forms come out with the rest, linked to the patient.
Access log. Every access to records and attachments is logged, with user, date and time.
Roles by function. The front desk sees the schedule, and the provider sees the records of their own patients.
The right record type for your profession. In dentistry (CFO 91/2009) and medicine (CFM 1.821/2007), going paperless requires a system that meets the NGS2 requirements, with an ICP-Brasil digital signature. Confirm this before signing.
API or documented integration. If the system talks to others, the clinic isn't locked into a single vendor.
Contract with the exit in writing. Format, deadline and cost of the export at termination, before signing.

How CERNE solves it

CERNE becomes the clinic's system, or organizes the workflows on top of the system it already uses. In both cases, the data stays with the clinic, with full export.

Records for professions without medical records. Assessment, sessions, pain scale, treatment plan and attachments sit on one patient timeline. The signed form is locked.
Logged access. Each provider sees what their role allows, and every access to records and attachments goes into the audit trail.
Full export. The clinic exports the records and other data whenever it wants, without relying on a ticket.
Integration on top. For clinics using Feegow, Ninsaúde or ProDoctor, which offer an API, CERNE integrates the schedule and patients. If the clinic wants to switch, our team runs a guided switch, in the five steps above.
Regulated records stay in the certified system. CERNE does not replace paperless medical or dental records, which require the NGS2 requirements and an ICP-Brasil signature. In those cases, it integrates with the system the clinic already uses.

CERNE's health package was born in the operation of Avittá Fisioterapia, with schedule, records, patient portal and finance in one place. See the workflows on the health and wellness page and the cards for each function.

Start with the assessment

The list in this text works for any switch. Your clinic's depends on the current system and the contract. Start with an assessment of your operation: our team reads your system's export and builds the switch plan with you. Book the assessment.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns the patient record data in the clinic's software?: Under the LGPD, the clinic is the controller: it decides on data processing. The software vendor is the processor and handles the data according to the clinic's instructions (art. 39). The patient has the right to access their own record, under COFFITO and CFP rules.
How do you export patient records from the old system?: Ask the vendor in writing for a full export: patients, future schedule, progress notes, assessments, attachments and finance. Require an open format, such as CSV for data and a PDF per patient for reading, and check a sample before canceling the contract.
How long must a physical therapy or psychology clinic keep records?: COFFITO (Resolution 414/2012) and CFP (Resolution 001/2009) require at least 5 years from the last entry. Law 13.787/2018 sets 20 years for digitized or electronic patient records. When in doubt, keep them for the longer period.
Do electronic dental records need certification?: To go paperless, yes. CFO Resolution 91/2009 requires a system that meets the NGS2 level of the CFM/SBIS manual, with an ICP-Brasil digital signature. Electronic records must be kept permanently, and paper records for 10 years.
How long does it take to switch clinic software?: It depends on the volume and the export format. A planned switch goes through inventory, a test export, migration of the future schedule, a parallel period and a sample check. Plan for a few weeks of parallel running, with the old system read-only.

CERNE for Health and wellness. Multi-provider schedule, confirmation, records, packages, provider payouts and the patient portal in one system. AI works inside the operation, and a team supports your management. See how it works or start with an assessment of your operation.

Sources

Victor Ferreira · Partner at IF Soluções and responsible for CERNE's architecture: the modules many companies share, the API integrations with the systems clients already use, data and security. Makes sure a workflow built for one client becomes a module that serves other markets.