Submitting Epic QRDA-I Files via SFTP – Instructions for Zipping & Password Submission


If you are unable to generate QRDA-I files out of your Epic EHR without passwords on the zip files, Patient360 can configure our SFTP server to automatically remove the passwords from the files prior to processing.  Please open a ticket with Patient360 Support if one of your clinics/TINs needs this functionality.  


To ensure smooth processing and successful delivery of your Epic password projected QRDA-I files to the Patient360 portal, please carefully follow the instructions below. These steps are required for our automated system to properly decrypt, extract, and repackage your files.


While we strongly prefer QRDA-I files be submitted in non-password-protected zip files to avoid processing issues (e.g., incorrect or inconsistent passwords), we understand this may not always be feasible when downloading directly from Epic.

Overview


You will submit one zip file (not password-protected) to our SFTP server. This single zip file will contain many password-protected zip files, each of which contains a single QRDA-I XML file. All inner zip files must use the same password.

Step-by-Step Instructions


1.  Prepare Your QRDA-I Files

  • Generate QRDA-I XML documents using your Epic system as usual.  Expectations are below.

    • One (1) QRDA-I XML file inside each zip file.

    • Apply the same password to all zip files.

    • Each zip should contain only the .xml file and be password-protected using the same consistent password.


2. Create the Password File

  • Create a file named: password.txt

  • Place only the password in this file:

    • No spaces

    • No extra characters

    • No headers or notes—just the exact password, on a single line.

  • Save this file as password.txt (all lowercase).


3. Create the Outer Zip File

  • Place all the password-protected zip files into a single zip archive.

  • Do not password-protect this outer zip file.

  • This outer zip file must follow the file naming convention outlined in our SFTP Guide or your file will not get picked up automatically for processing.


4. Upload Files in the Correct Order

  1. Upload password.txt to the "epic" SFTP folder first.

  2. Upload the outer zip file containing the password-protected zips after password.txt.

What Happens Next?


Once both files are uploaded:

  1. Our system reads the password from password.txt.

  2. It automatically:

    • Unlocks each password-protected zip file.

    • Extracts the QRDA-I XML document.

    • Repackages the .xml files into new zip files containing up to 5,000 files each.

  3. These newly generated zip files will be automatically retrieved during our daily morning SFTP polling process, which monitors for the presence of new files that can subsequently be imported into Patient360. 

Important Notes

  • All inner zip files must use the exact same password.

  • password.txt must be uploaded first, or processing will be delayed or may fail.  

  • The outer zip file must not be password-protected.

  • File names must strictly follow the convention in our SFTP Guide.

  • Do not include any unrelated files (e.g., PDFs, Word docs, or logs) in the submission.

If you have any questions or need help preparing your files, please reach out to our support team.