How to bulk export Lyrebird notes for free

Key takeaways

• Lyrebird's help centre describes copying notes into your records one consult at a time.
• Lyrebird deletes saved notes and documents after 7 days by default, and deleted items can't be recovered.
• The free Hanah Chrome extension exports every consult still in your Lyrebird History in one go: notes, documents, Context and transcripts.
• You get one zip with a plain text file for each patient. Export doesn't need a Hanah account, and nothing is sent to Hanah.

Lyrebird's help centre describes copying each note or document with the Copy button and pasting it into your records. With a full caseload that means opening every consult one by one.

Lyrebird also keeps notes for a limited time. Its settings guide gives a default of 7 days before saved items are deleted, with a range of 1 day to 6 months, and says that after that "we are no longer able to retrieve your documents or notes".

Before you export

1. In Lyrebird, open Settings, then Account, then Preferences.
2. Under When should Lyrebird delete saved items?, check how long your notes are kept. Extend it to 6 months if you need more time.

The export can only include consults that are still in your History.

Export your Lyrebird notes

1. Install the Hanah Chrome extension.
2. Open Lyrebird in Chrome and sign in. Click the Hanah button in the bottom right corner to open the Hanah window.
3. Click the Export tab.
4. Leave All patients ticked to export everything, or search for a patient and tick only the ones you want.
5. Click Export everything. The extension reads each consult and saves Lyrebird notes.zip to your downloads.

A large caseload takes a few minutes. Keep the Lyrebird tab open until the export finishes.

The export files

Each patient gets a text file named after them, such as Amelia Hart.txt. Consults are in date order, oldest first, and each one has:

• the date and time
• the notes written in the consult
• any documents from the consult, such as letters and reports
• the Context you added
• the transcript

Plain text opens on any computer, in Notepad, TextEdit, Word or Google Docs, and you can paste it into your practice management system.

The export groups consults by the patient name typed into each consult. Consults with no name go into Unnamed patient.txt, and a name spelled two ways ends up in two files.

Privacy

The export runs in your browser. The extension reads your consults with your Lyrebird sign-in, builds the zip on your computer and saves it to your downloads. Nothing is sent to Hanah, and you don't need a Hanah account.

The zip holds patient health information. Store it where you keep the rest of your clinical records.

Export before you cancel

When your subscription ends, Lyrebird's troubleshooting FAQs say you keep access to your notes on the free version until your deletion period ends. Export first, then cancel. Our guide to cancelling Lyrebird covers the cancellation and getting back a prepaid annual plan.

Moving to Hanah

The Migrate to Hanah tab, next to Export, brings your Lyrebird templates, past consults and teammates into Hanah. Each consult arrives as a completed visit on its original date, with its transcript, Context, notes and documents. The steps are in our Hanah and Lyrebird comparison. Hanah's Practice plan starts with a 1-month free trial and no card.

Frequently asked questions

Can I export all my notes from Lyrebird at once?

Lyrebird's help centre describes copying notes one consult at a time. The free Hanah Chrome extension exports every consult still in your History into one zip, with a plain text file for each patient.

Why are some of my old Lyrebird notes missing?

Lyrebird deletes saved items after the period set under Settings, Account, Preferences, which is 7 days by default. Deleted items can't be recovered. Extend the period to keep the notes you still have.

Do I need a Hanah account to export?

No. The Export tab works without signing in to Hanah, and nothing is sent to Hanah.

Does the export include transcripts?

Yes. Each consult has its notes, any documents, the Context and the transcript.

Can I export a single patient?

Yes. Untick All patients, search for the patient, tick them and click Export.

Does it work with Heidi?

Yes. Our guide to exporting Heidi notes has the steps.