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Manually Importing Resident/Patient List (Beta)

Kevin U
  • Updated

About Manually Importing a Resident/Patient List File

You can import a .csv or Excel® file of a resident/patient list directly into a MealSuite account. Note that this functionality is currently in Beta, and as such is open to feedback. 

Preparing the .csv or Excel File

Data Required in File

For the file to be successfully imported, the following data for each profile must be included:

  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Date of Birth (multiple formats accepted)
  • Room (includes following hierarchal units: building*, campus*, area, room, and bed*) 
    *Building, campus, and bed are only required if enabled in your account. 

Data that Can or Cannot be Included in File

The data listed below is mandatory on a resident/patient profile in your account, but not mandatory in the file for the import process. This allows you to perform an import with the minimal mandatory information if needed, and then subsequently open the profiles to add the data when you know it. 

  • ID
  • Gender
  • Group
  • Admit Date (multiple formats accepted)
  • Dining Area
  • Service
  • Diet
  • Texture
  • Fluid
  • Allergies
  • Interventions

Downloading a Sample File

You can download a sample file for reference and which includes instructions on formatting the data correctly, as per screenshot below.

sample_file.png
(Right-click image to open and expand in new tab)

To download the sample file, complete the following steps:

  1. Open the People Listing screen (People > People Listing). 
     
  2. Click the Import button. The Import People slide-out panel appears. 

    Import_people.png
     
  3. Click the Download Sample File link. The file (named People Import Sample File) is downloaded to your computer. 

Importing the Resident/Patient List File

To start importing a resident/patient list file, complete the following steps:

  1. Open the People Listing screen (People > People Listing).
     
  2. Click the Import button. The Import People slide-out panel appears.

    Import_people.png
     
  3. Click the Browse button and retrieve your file.
     
  4. If your file has titles in the top row of each column (e.g., First Name, Last Name, Date of Birth, etc.), then these are known as column headers. Therefore click the Yes option for the Does your file have column headers? question. By selecting Yes, the system will perform a data check (step 7 below) of the required columns, which are as follows:
    • First Name
    • Last Name
    • Date of Birth (multiple formats accepted)
    • Room (includes following hierarchal units: building*, campus*, area, room, and bed*) 
      *Building, campus, and bed are only required if enabled in your account. 
       
  5. If your file does not have titles in the top row of each column, and instead is just rows of resident profile data, then it does not have column headers. Therefore, click the No option for the Does your file have column headers? question. By selecting No, the system will not perform a data check of the required columns.
     
  6. For the Date Format drop-down, select the date format being used for the Date of Birth and Admit Date columns:
    • YYYY-MM-DD
    • YYYY-DD-MM
    • DD-MM-YYYY
    • MM-DD-YYYY
    • YYYY/MM/DD
    • YYYY/DD/MM
    • DD/MM/YYYY
    • MM/DD/YYYY
    • 3 separate columns - the DOB info is parsed in the columns of DOB Year, DOB Month, and DOB Day. The admit date info is parsed in the columns of Admit Year, Admit Month, and Admit Day. 
       
  7. Click the Go To Column Mapping button. If you indicated that your file has column headers (step 4 above), and if data is missing for a resident from a required column in the file (e.g., date of birth), an error message appears indicating such (screenshot below). If no data is missing from the required columns, and therefore no error message appears, proceed to step 10. 

    dob_missing.png
     
  8. Click OK to close the message, and then adjust the file as needed.
     
  9. On the slide-out panel, click the Remove link to remove the existing file, and then click the Browse button to retrieve the adjusted file to redo the import. 
     
  10. Assuming there is no missing data, the slide-out panel refreshes with the Column Mapping table (screenshot below). Proceed to the Mapping Columns to Profile Fields section below. 

    column_mapping.png

Mapping Columns to Profile Fields

If you indicated that your file has column headers (step 4 above), the system will automatically attempt to align the column headers with their associated profile fields (screenshot below). If needed, you can change the mapping for a column header by selecting the desired field from the associated Map To drop-down. Note that the Sample Data list in the table is taken from the first row (non-header row) of your file. 

column_mapping.png

If you indicated that your file does not have column headers (step 5 above), then the system cannot automatically attempt to align the columns with their associated profile fields. As such, the Map To drop-downs are empty. The Sample Data list on the left is taken from the first row of your file, with each datum representing a column. Map each column to its profile field by selecting the profile field from the associated Map To drop-down. For example, map the name "Fred" (first name) to the First Name field. 


column_mapping_no_headers.png

Import Process and Mapping Unknown Data

  1. To import the file, click the Import button. The profiles with their data from the file are automatically created in your account, as can be seen behind the Import People slide-out panel (screenshot below). 

    imported-People.png
    (Right-click image to open and expand in new tab)
     
  2. If any data is missing or is unrecognizable in the file (i.e., does not match word for word), then the List of Unknown Data appears. From the Map to fields, select the matching data. For example, if the resident's people group is blank in the file or has an unrecognizable name to what exists in your account, then from the Map To field select the desired people group to assign the resident/patient to. 

    unknown_data.png

    Note 1: The data types of Dining Area and Allergies have an ignore option from the Map to field. Selecting the ignore option will allow the file to be imported, but the associated field in the profile will be blank for you to complete later when you know the data. 

    Note 2: If you do not want to map the unknown data at this stage, but would rather manually enter the data later by opening each profile, then you can close the slide-out panel by clicking the X icon at the top left (first screenshot below). A warning message appears (second screenshot below), from which you can click Leave Anyways. 

    close_data_mapping.png

    warning_leaving.png
     
  3. Upon addressing the mapping issues, click the Import button again to continue with the import. Upon successful import, the Import Completed message appears. 

    success_import.png
     
  4. If a profile is created with missing data, such as what occurs when you select the ignore option when mapping the data or you abandon the mapping data process after the profiles have been imported, then the Missing Info label appears in the People Listing screen.

    missing_info.png
     
  5. When a profile has missing data, then the associated fields are highlighted red. 

    profile_missing_fields.png

Notes

FAQs

Will a file import update existing profiles?

No.  A file import will not update existing profiles, even if that profile is missing data and the file includes that data. 

Will a file import add personal menu customizations?

No. A file import will not update personal menu customizations (personal menu items, preferences, substitutes, menu item notes.).

Will a file import add service notes or profile notes?

No. A file import will not add service notes or profile notes. 

I am unable to import a .csv or Excel file?

Ensure the .cvs or Excel file does not include formulas. If the file has formulas, it cannot be imported.