Data extraction simply means retrieving data from various sources. It is the critical first step when replacing one EMR with another. An accurate, discrete data extraction sets the stage for successful subsequent processes (like transformation and load) that will result in a data migration that IT and data governance teams can be proud of. That said, often there is a large amount of unstructured data housed in an EMR. There needs to be a plan for this data as well as the normalized, structured data elements.