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Importing a C-CDA File

Got an XML download from your patient portal? Here's how to bring it in.

Many US patient portals let you download a C-CDA (Continuity of Care Document) - a structured XML file with labs, problems, medications, allergies, and visit summaries. Inciteful Med can read these directly.

How to identify a C-CDA file

C-CDA files end in .xml. They're often named something like:

  • CCDA_summary.xml
  • clinical_document.xml
  • _summary.xml

If your portal gave you a .zip, it may contain one or more .xml files plus an HTML preview - Inciteful Med can read either the .zip or the individual .xml files inside it.

Step-by-step

  1. Open the patient profile you want to add records to.
  2. Go to Medical Data - Add Health Data.
  3. Choose Import C-CDA.
  4. Drag the .xml (or .zip) file into the drop zone.

You'll see a preview just like with FHIR imports - review what's in the document, confirm the patient, and click Import.

How the import shows up in your records

A C-CDA import is stored and listed as one item - the import job - even though the document may have contained many labs, medications, and visit notes. Inciteful Med uses everything in the document when answering questions, but you won't see individual records you can pick through and edit one at a time.

To remove a C-CDA import, remove the whole job from Recent Imports. There's no way to delete just a single lab or medication out of a C-CDA. See Deleting a medical record.

C-CDA vs. FHIR - which should I use?

Both work. If your portal gives you a choice, FHIR is usually richer and more granular. C-CDA is great for one-time visit summaries or when FHIR isn't offered.

You can mix the two: drop in a C-CDA from a recent hospital stay and import a FHIR export of your ongoing labs.

Trouble importing?

  • "File doesn't look like a C-CDA": it might be a different XML format. Some portals export proprietary XML - try downloading as PDF or FHIR instead.
  • Photos of paper records: not C-CDA. Upload them as files via Add Health Data - Upload files.
  • Very large files: hospital systems sometimes produce multi-MB documents. Imports take a minute - leave the page open.

See also