2022-06-30

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2022-06-28

Experience MyAHS Connect to Promote MyAHS Connect

We've previously posted about increasing uptake of Connect Care's patient portal, MyAHS Connect. With a critical mass of engaged patients, Connect Care prescribers have growing opportunity to improve information gathering and sharing with patients, including during inpatient encounters. 

But it can be hard to promote a service that one has little experience of!

A new initiative enables Connect Care prescribers to activate their own MyAHS Connect accounts. They can experience firsthand the benefits of a full-feature patient portal. Personal access can also help clinicians help patients who ask questions about patient portal functions.

Edit: As of October 4, 2024, MyAHS Connect is available to all Albertans with a MyHealth Records account. Prescribers who would like to access their own MyAHS Connect account can do so by logging in to their MyHealth Records account.

This opportunity is offered to prescribers activated for Connect Care use as part of past and current launches. Some clinicians may already have MyAHS Connect access by virtue of their own experiences as patients. Others can complete a self sign-up request. 

Application instructions are provided on the AHS intranet. Note that the links will only work when logged on to an intranet (within AHS) location. It is also possible to open the Clinician Manual from within Connect Care (F1 key for pop-up help, then Clinician Manual link at top of middle column), go to the Patient Portal page, then follow the sign-up link from there:

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2022-06-27

Care Path Launch – Heart Failure and COPD

The Heart Failure and Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AECOPD) Care Paths will launch in Connect Care on July 11, 2022. 

Who is the Care Path for?

Any patient admitted to hospital with a principal diagnosis of Heart Failure or COPD. While a patient can be placed on a Care Path at any point during the hospital stay, it is recommended to begin the Care Path on admission.

What is a Care Path and why use it?

    A Care Path is an advanced clinical decision support tool in Connect Care which summarizes relevant patient information, incorporates evidence, and builds multidisciplinary care into a single workflow path based on the patient’s primary diagnosis. Advantages include:
    • Automatically integrates evidence into care – Care Paths help providers to see summaries of diagnosis-specific care evidence in context of a patient’s relevant health information, enabling personalization of care decisions to optimize quality and safety of care.
    • Improves efficiency by summarizing relevant information – The Care Path Summary page consolidates patient information specific to the primary diagnosis into one view with quick links to relevant assessments, labs, vitals, medications, rapid rounds, expected date of discharge (EDD), and problem-oriented charting.
    • Provides specific guidance for phases of care – Care Paths includes imbedded Order Sets for hospital admission, as well as workflows to support managing day-to-day hospital care. Care paths also help to guide coordinated transitions between acute, primary and community-based care.
    Is there evidence to support Care Path use?
      Yes! The use of standard order sets and clinical pathways have been associated with improved patient outcomes including decreased length of stay, reduced hospital readmission rates, improved adherence to evidence, reduced healthcare costs, and even substantially reduced patient mortality. 

      What do you need to do?

      Care Paths are launching on July 11, 2022. Prior to that date, please watch the training video(s) below in My Learning Link (MLL). Benefits: learn how to use Care Paths efficiently to save time, and earn CME credits!

      • Unaccredited summary course: EPIC - Care Paths - Prescribers (20 min)
        • Note: This course is also inserted into the accredited modules listed below. 

      or 

      • Accredited course (Care Path-specific):
        • Heart Failure Disease Care Path Integration: Evidenced-Based Guideline Recommended Best Care 
          • RCPSC MOC 3 – SAP 1.5 hrs 
          • CFPC Mainpro+ 3-credits-per-hour for 1.5 hrs (4.5 credits)
        • Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Care Path Integration - Evidenced-Based Guideline Recommended Best Care 
          • RCPSC MOC 3 – SAP 1.0 hr 
          • CFPC Mainpro+ 3-credits-per-hour for 1.0 hr (3.0 credits) 

      For more information, see the updated Care Paths section of the Manual.

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      2022-06-24

      On Other Channels...

      Thank you for continuing to check the Connect Care update blog for prescribers (ideally, subscribe to multiple channels; see instructions). Recent additions to this blog and its various channels:

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      2022-06-16

      Death Certification Still a Paper Process

      While it is great to see so many Connect Care users enjoying digital documentation -- and release from fussy forms -- there are some tasks that can only be completed on paper.

      One of these is death certification.

      The Province of Alberta is working on, but does not yet support, digital death certification. At this time, responsible physicians must complete a formal (paper) death certificate in the event of a patient death. These can be found at Emergency or Nursing Station forms stores. They can also be obtained from the facility admitting department and must be returned to medical records before a body can be released.

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      2022-06-13

      Dictated Textual Radiology Results Issue - Resolved

      On the afternoon of Sunday June 12, 2022, there was an issue preventing flow of newly dictated textual radiology results to Connect Care. During this time, critical results were reported verbally. The flow of results was disrupted for approximately three hours, from 12:47 until 15:48, and was in effect province-wide. The issue is now resolved, and all textual results have been posted to Connect Care. There is no further action required at this time. 

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      2022-06-10

      Connect Care Launch 4 - Electronic Documents and Results Delivery to Community Providers

      AHS uses a system called "eDelivery" to electronically deliver patient information to providers and physicians at their private community practices. With Connect Care Launch 4, there have been changes to the information distributed to providers. Providers who work at AHS facilities using Connect Care as well as at private clinics/offices in the community will want to understand these changes. 

      These changes affect the six types of Connect Care summative notes as well as results for lab, diagnostic imaging (DI) and other investigations. A memo summarizes the changes for the delivery of this information from Connect Care to community providers; the key messages are:

      • All providers will receive copies of summative notes in their external electronic medical record (EMR) when they are identified as the Primary Care Provider (PCP) for a patient; sometimes you may receive information for a patient not associated with you or your clinic – you can follow up with AHS to remediate this situation. 
      • Authoring providers in Connect Care will receive copies of summative notes they author at AHS facilities in their external EMR. 
      • Mixed-context providers (working in AHS facilities as well as at private clinics/offices in the community) may receive some community DI reports twice (in their Connect Care In Basket as well as at their non-AHS locations).
        • Additional information specific to DI report delivery for mixed-context providers is available in an earlier memo.
      • All summative notes and results are available in Netcare.

      For more information, please review the full memo:

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