2024-12-20

On Other Channels...

Below is a digest of new blog posts across all the Connect Care clinician blog channels in the last week; this is our last digest for 2024. For more info on the blogs, click here. Note: A camera icon in a post on any of our channels indicates that there is an accompanying screenshot - just click the icon to view. 

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2024-12-18

Email Subscription Service Ending for Connect Care Clinician Blogs

Effective end of this month (December 31, 2024), we will be discontinuing our current email subscription service for all our Connect Care clinician blog channels. At this time, we do not have an alternate email subscription service available, but will continue to look for an appropriate service that meets our readers' needs. 

In the meantime, the blog channels do each support “subscribing” to their RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed, for those who use newsfeed readers - see the tip sheet for more information. For others, perhaps consider bookmarking the main Bytes channel (bytes.connect-care.ca) and checking in on Fridays and the end of each month. Digests of new blog posts across all Connect Care clinician blog channels are published most Fridays on Bytes under the title "On Other Channels". Also, our monthly prescriber newsletter, Between the Charts (news.connect-care.ca), highlights key blog posts from the previous month; issues are typically published in the last week of each month, and a notice is published on Bytes as soon as the next issue is available. Both of these updates are gathered under the tag "Updates", and can be directly bookmarked via ahs-cis.ca/cmioupdates.

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2024-12-13

On Other Channels...

Below is a digest of new blog posts across all the Connect Care clinician blog channels in the last week. For more info on the blogs, click here. Note: A camera icon in a post on any of our channels indicates that there is an accompanying screenshot - just click the icon to view. 

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2024-12-06

CMIO Prescriber Drop-in Now Closed

As we approach the end of the fifth week of Connect Care at the Launch 9 sites, the CMIO Virtual Drop-in Centre has now closed. Though the launch support period may have ended at your site, that is not the end of Connect Care support available for prescribers. 

It is expected that new users will continue to have questions as they encounter situations perhaps not covered in basic training, or when returning to a workflow they need a refresher on, or when there is an opportunity to dive into some of the more advanced tricks and tools available to get the most out of the Connect Care clinical information system (CIS) and make your user experience smoother. There are a number of post-launch supports in place for these reasons. 

  • If you are experiencing a problem that has possible immediate patient care impact, call the IT Service Desk & Solution Centre at 1-877-311-4300 (#1 for Connect Care). The Service Desk is able to provide high-level workflow and training support; urgent issues will be escalated to an on-call CMIO training team member.
  • For all other issues, take a look at this FAQ to discover the best post-launch resource to use for help.
Don't struggle - ask for help. A solution is likely just a call or click away.

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On Other Channels...

Below is a digest of new blog posts across all the Connect Care clinician blog channels in the last week. For more info on the blogs, click here. Note: A camera icon in a post on any of our channels indicates that there is an accompanying screenshot - just click the icon to view.  

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2024-11-29

On Other Channels...

Below is a digest of new blog posts across all the Connect Care clinician blog channels in the last week. For more info on the blogs, click here. Note: A camera icon in a post on any of our channels indicates that there is an accompanying screenshot - just click the icon to view.  

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2024-11-28

Between the Charts: CMIO Newsletter for Prescribers - Issue 13 Now Available

Our monthly newsletter for prescribers, called "Between the Charts", summarizes key news items, Epic system updates, efficiency tips and extras that will help prescribers optimize their Connect Care user experience, all in two pages. The next issue is now out, available at the below link! This issue includes information on:

  • Launch 9 accomplishments and remaining prescriber Virtual Drop-In Centre hours
  • Airway alerts on Storyboard
  • Expanded access to improved transition planning and Exceptional Care Plan improvements
  • Ordering partial patch doses coming soon
  • Referral Order vs. Recommendation
  • Variables that may cause a delay in viewing images after completion of an imaging investigation
  • How to report broken resource links
  • Publication schedule for holiday season
  • And more!

The previous issues can still be accessed, via the archive in the Connect Care Manual. 

If you have any feedback on this issue or have a suggestion for content you'd like included in a future issue, please send us an email.

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2024-11-27

Seeking Site Medical Informatics Leads (All Zones)

Alberta Health Services is seeking passionate leaders to fill multiple available positions as Site Medical Informatics Leads (SMILs) in the North, Edmonton, Central, Calgary, and South Zones. The SMILs will collaborate closely with their Zone's Medical Leadership team and work together with leadership and healthcare practitioners at assigned facilities/site(s) to ensure the seamless integration and optimization of Digital Health. The SMILs will:

  • directly engage site leadership;
  • establish and maintain effective communications;
  • identify workflow and tool gaps;
  • contribute local/specialized knowledge;
  • be a visible champion for clinical systems; and
  • be involved in enhanced local decision-making.

The SMILs will be seasoned physicians within the province of Alberta who understand the complexities of large-scale transformational change, have experience in clinical operations, are committed to continuous quality improvement, and can contribute to the innovation, integration, and consistency of patient-centered clinical care. The successful candidates would report to the Chief Medical Information Officer.

The postings will remain open until suitable candidates are found. 

For a full description of the positions and to apply, see the relevant zonal posting:

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2024-11-25

All User Bulletin - Microsoft SharePoint File Collections Upgrade and Reporting Broken Links

All-user-bulletins highlight stumbling blocks that all prescribers need to be aware of when using the Connect Care clinical information system.

Internet Links to SharePoint Assets - Reporting Breaks
Users of Connect Care blogs (blogs.connect-care.ca) and the Clinician Manual (manual.connect-care.ca) may find broken resource links in the coming weeks as Alberta Health Services updates its instance of Microsoft SharePoint, where many resources are stored.

The CMIO portfolio has been careful to employ stable links that should survive the upgrade. We do not anticipate significant problems. Nonetheless, users can help by reporting any broken links, or other improvement requests, to the CMIO Editorial Board at:
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2024-11-22

Document and Results Routing Preferences for Mixed-Context Providers

Mixed-context providers (providers who work at AHS using Connect Care and in the community using another legal record of care) are able to receive results at multiple locations and by multiple methods including Connect Care In Basket, Fax, and eDelivery (electronic delivery direct to their EMR InBox). Delivery methods consider who (provider), where (location/address for each provider) and how (delivery method for each location/address). With this information, documents and results can be more consistently delivered to the right location (where the provider sees the patient). We call this approach to document and results routing “address-level delivery.”

The provider’s record in Connect Care lists the locations/addresses they work at and, for each location, the preferred delivery method for that location. Mixed-context providers may have location listed on their record in Connect Care that are locations that use Connect Care; providers may prefer for those locations to have a preferred delivery method of “In Basket”.

How does Connect Care route clinical information? 

Where and how clinical information is routed for mixed-context providers depends on what is on the provider’s record in Connect Care and on in-system user workflow (e.g., ordering department in Connect Care, type of information, selections by staff transcribing orders). Where and how the information is delivered is evaluated in this order:

  1. When a Connect Care user chooses the address and delivery method as part of their workflow, that will be used instead of a system default or preferences.
  2. If a provider is listed on the patient’s care team in Connect Care as the patient’s primary care provider (PCP), the location at which they see the patient will be used.
  3. If a location is not known, the provider’s primary/default address will be used.

How do I change my provider information or primary address?

You can request that your delivery preference be changed to your Connect Care In Basket by contacting the AHS IT Service Desk:

  • Call 1-877-311-4300, option 1, option 1.
  • Let them know you want to change your delivery preference to Connect Care In Basket for all AHS locations and whether you want your primary/default to be changed to your Connect Care In Basket.
  • Provide mailing address/phone/fax for that location.

For additional changes, a missing location, or if your clinic wishes to set up eDelivery to an EMR, complete the Provider Set-Up in Health Information Systems form.

For more information about Connect Care address-level delivery, see the FAQ:

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On Other Channels...

Below is a digest of new blog posts across all the Connect Care clinician blog channels in the last week. For more info on the blogs, click here. Note: A camera icon in a post on any of our channels indicates that there is an accompanying screenshot - just click the icon to view.  

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2024-11-18

BBHR: Exceptional Care Plan Improvements

Building a Better Health Record (BBHR)

As part of our documentation quality improvement initiative, we promote practical ways for clinicians to provide clear and actionable communication at transitions of care.

Improvements to Exceptional Care Plan Tools

Some patients suffer from chronic or recurring conditions that may present in settings where staff are unfamiliar with a patient's specific treatment requirements. Examples include rare bleeding disorders, complement deficiencies, and complex metabolic disorders, as well as multi-emergency department users requiring a consistent approach to management that may differ from typical practice.

Clinicians managing such patients may have devised individualized treatment plans that work best for a particular patient with a particular health condition. These "Exceptional Care Plans" (ECP) are documented in Connect Care using a workflow that ensures that the existence of the plan is highlighted for others.

ECP workflows have been enhanced to streamline and simplify the work of creating, updating, inactivating, reviewing and sharing for authorized providers. Workflow descriptions, tips and demonstrations are updated:

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2024-11-15

On Other Channels...

Below is a digest of new blog posts across all the Connect Care clinician blog channels in the last week. For more info on the blogs, click here. Note: A camera icon in a post on any of our channels indicates that there is an accompanying screenshot - just click the icon to view.  

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2024-11-08

On Other Channels...

Below is a digest of new blog posts across all the Connect Care clinician blog channels in the last week. For more info on the blogs, click here. Note: A camera icon in a post on any of our channels indicates that there is an accompanying screenshot - just click the icon to view. 

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2024-11-07

Improving Issue Reports and Help Desk Interactions

Problem reports (help.connect-care.ca "tickets") have been well within expectations so far with Connect Care Launch 9. Of course, more tickets are expected as clinical volumes ramp up. The good news is that tickets are resolved quickly, with critical tickets resolved within minutes to hours.

Helpdesk tickets route most efficiently when the user provides clear information at the right level of detail. See our tips for impactful issue reports:

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2024-11-05

BBHR: Expanded Access to Improved Transition Planning Tools

Building a Better Health Record (BBHR)

As part of our documentation quality improvement initiative, we promote practical ways for clinicians to provide clear and actionable communication at transitions of care.

Expanded Access to Improved Transition Planning Tools

Connect Care provides a set of integrated supports that can help clinicians anticipate and plan for a patient's discharge from hospital. Designed to facilitate multidisciplinary collaboration, the Transition Planning Package improves communications within and across encounters.

Recent enhancements expand access to a common set of standardized discharge planning tools for all participating disciplines, including transition coordinators, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, recreation therapy, psychology, spiritual care, respiratory therapy, speech language pathology, dietetics and social work. Care teams can customize the planning tools to adjust which discipline "readiness" statuses are tracked. A new rich text field allows teams an easier way to capture and continually update narrative planning considerations that arise in Rapid Rounds and are helpful to track.

In addition to full access to Rapid Rounds supports, all team members can view and interact with a patient's transition plan through an inpatient chart sidebar, summary activity index and/or summary activity "patient story" display. All have been enhanced in response to user feedback.

Finally, the current and discharge target "safe handling status" (SHS, a simple measure of requirements for things like patient transfers, correlating with functional mobility required for discharge readiness) is now incorporated into Connect Care transition planning tools. A SHS column can be added to Rapid Rounds (and other) patient lists. SHS current and target status is incorporated into the integrated readiness ("traffic lights") tool as well as chart sidebar, storyboard and other planning reports.

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2024-11-04

Phased Replacement of IMPAX Viewer - Starts November in North Zone

Provincial Enterprise Imaging (PEI) is replacing the IMPAX system as the new Picture Archive and Communication System (PACS). Implementation of PEI will be phased, starting with North Zone on November 12, 2024. The remaining zones will implement PEI between January and May 2025 (see this poster for a timeline). Note that, for North Zone's implementation, OrthoView will also be replacing MediCAD as the orthopedic templating software.

  • PEI Implementation
    • PEI is replacing the IMPAX system. PEI integrates into Connect Care and will help streamline workflows by providing convenient access to imaging data and reports.
    • After PEI implementation, many medical staff will view diagnostic images and reports via the XERO Viewer in Connect Care.
    • Training for PEI is through MyLearningLink. Medical staff who require PEI access will be given training information before implementation in their zone. 
    • In scope roles for access include radiologists, emergency prescribers, and orthopedic surgeons. For other prescribers who believe they may need access to PEI, please contact ProvincialEnterpriseImaging@ahs.ca. 
  • OrthoView Implementation (North Zone)
    • OrthoView will replace MediCAD. OrthoView is an advanced orthopedic planning tool integrated within PEI.
    • Training for OrthoView is available on request. For any prescribers who require training, please contact DIBusinessSupport@ahs.ca.  

For more information, see the posters. Reminders for the remaining zones will be posted here closer to their respective implementation dates.

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2024-11-02

Launch 9: We are GO!

As of 05:00 today, Connect Care welcomes 155 sites from across the province into the family; with this launch, Health Link and Correctional Health facilities are now on Connect Care, as well as additional Population and Public Health programs, and Continuing Care sites including Home Care, CapitalCare facilities and Covenant Health sites! The first few days will be intense, but with lots of help at hand we are confident that progress will be fast. 

Prescribers, please make use of the Virtual Drop-in Centre and other launch supports (launchhelp.connect-care.ca). Watch this channel for any updates, as well as the Support channel for information on "hot topic" common issues that have been flagged for Launch 9 prescribers. A Launch 9 Updates section in the Connect Care Manual also flags the largest system updates and workflow changes to be aware of (for prescribers in all launches).

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2024-11-01

On Other Channels...

Below is a digest of new blog posts across all the Connect Care clinician blog channels in the last week. For more info on the blogs, click here. Note: A camera icon in a post on any of our channels indicates that there is an accompanying screenshot - just click the icon to view.  

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2024-10-31

AHS Digital Scribe Project

An exciting Quality Improvement project is about to launch in three emergency departments within AHS. Starting November 5, an artificial intelligence (AI) digital scribe application is going to be trialed by a small group of emergency physicians at the University of Alberta Hospital, the Royal Alexandra Hospital, and the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre (RDRHC). 

The project is a collaboration between AHS, the University of Alberta, and the Canadian Medical Association. Created initially by RDRHC emergency physician Dr. Mike Weldon with subsequent development by an in-house AHS team, the app, called AHS Digital Scribe, records and transcribes conversations between doctors and patients, and translates relevant details into medical notes. Once they review the notes, physicians can then copy and paste that information into Connect Care. The patient data are kept private and secure, within AHS. 

The hope is that the AHS Digital Scribe will reduce the administrative burden on physicians, while improving the care experience for both patients and their healthcare providers. With this technology, providers can hopefully focus more on direct patient care than on typing or dictating notes. 

Initially, there will only be a small number of physicians in each designated emergency department using the digital scribe technology, but the intention is to increase the number over the coming months. We want to gather their feedback to better understand how this works in our healthcare environment and the impact it has on the clinician and patient experience. If it is shown to be successful, we will investigate the feasibility and cost of a larger project that could be integrated with Connect Care.  

More information on the AHS Digital Scribe project is available at the Canadian Medical Association site: University of Alberta | CMA. It’s expected the 2-year pilot will be complete by June 2026.

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Between the Charts: CMIO Newsletter for Prescribers - Issue 12 Now Available

Our monthly newsletter for prescribers, called "Between the Charts", summarizes key news items, Epic system updates, efficiency tips and extras that will help prescribers optimize their Connect Care user experience, all in two pages. The next issue is now out, available at the below link! This issue includes information on:

  • Prescriber Virtual Drop-In Centre for Launch 9 and Arthur Child prescribers/consultants 
  • Workflow updates for all launches due to Launch 9
  • Daylight Savings Time on November 3
  • MyAHS Connect access changes and referral information
  • Simplified discharge dispositions for IFTs
  • H&P lookback setting extended
  • Op Notes in Prep for Procedure navigator 
  • Advanced Care Planning/Goals of Care Designation updates
  • E0 Case Scheduling workflow updates for all STAT surgical cases
  • SMAT changes in pediatric/neonatal order sets coming soon
  • AHS Digital Scribe Project
  • And more!

The previous issues can still be accessed, via the archive in the Connect Care Manual. 

If you have any feedback on this issue or have a suggestion for content you'd like included in a future issue, please send us an email.

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Important Updates for All Connect Care Prescribers (Launches 1-9)

To prepare for Launch 9, there have been a number of system updates and new or changed workflows that affect both new and previously launched Connect Care prescribers. 

A new section in the Connect Care Manual flags the largest updates and changes to be aware of - Launch 9 Updates. It includes the following topics:

  • Changes relating to admitting from/discharging to Continuing Care facilities launching in North and Edmonton Zones
  • Changes to disposition selection in the Discharge order for all IFTs 
  • Changes related to Population and Public Health programs joining Connect Care, including Health Link

Any additional changes needing attention during the launch support period will be flagged on the Launch 9 Updates page of the Manual, as well as the Connect Care Support Blog channel, our regular channel for posting system updates. Check back often, and consider subscribing to the Support Blog to receive new blog posts directly to your email.
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2024-10-25

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 are listed below. Reminder that a camera icon in a blog post on any of our channels indicates that there is an accompanying screenshot - just click the icon to view. 

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2024-10-15

CMIO Prescriber Virtual Drop-In Centre Now Open

The CMIO Connect Care Launch 9 Prescriber Virtual Drop-in Centre is now open! 

The Virtual Drop-in Centre provides Launch 9 prescribers with support virtually, and is good for troubleshooting issues related to: mobility, personal devices, dictation, personalization and workflows; login, role and access problems; and more complex issues. 

The Virtual Drop-in is open Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 16:00, from October 15 to November 1 (closed Saturdays and Sundays). Hours then increase once the Launch 9 sites are live on Connect Care, and the Virtual Drop-in will remain open into December.

More information on the Virtual Drop-in Centre (including how to access and a full schedule of hours during the launch support period) can be found at launchhelp.connect-care.ca.

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2024-10-11

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 are listed below. Reminder that a camera icon in a blog post on any of our channels indicates that there is an accompanying screenshot - just click the icon to view. 

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2024-10-10

MyAHS Connect - Access Update

As of October 4, 2024, Connect Care's patient portal, MyAHS Connect, is now available to all Albertans with an Alberta Health MyHealth Records account.

  • Prescribers and staff no longer need to complete the previous activation steps for patients, and can instead provide patients with access information for MyHealth Records.
  • The previous activation workflow has been updated to reflect the new access requirements.
  • The self sign-up workflow is no longer required for prescribers and staff to get access to their own MyAHS Connect account. Prescribers who would like to access their MyAHS Connect account can do so by logging in to their MyHealth Records account.
  • With this update, MyAHS Connect users (and their proxies) can also now view their Connect Care referrals information within MyAHS Connect.
  • Proxy access workflows have not changed.

We are currently working to update all our existing prescriber resources to reflect this change.
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2024-10-09

Seeking Digital Health Provincial Medical Informatics Leads

Alberta Health Services is seeking passionate leaders to fill multiple available positions as Digital Health Provincial Medical Informatics Leads (PMILs). The PMILs will be at the forefront of driving digital transformation in health care across the province. This pivotal role combines clinical expertise with digital health leadership to shape the future of clinical information systems through:

  • maintenance and improvement of knowledge and workflows in clinical information systems, with a goal to improve quality, efficiency, and safety of patient care;
  • engagement with prescribers to gather input and advice on clinical information system improvements, as well as to act as a champion for system adoption; and
  • development of communications and education materials for prescribers, to drive optimal system use and improve user satisfaction. 

In these capacities, each PMIL will be the key Digital Health medical lead on the provincial Clinical Systems Improvement (CSI) Team for a given clinical program. The available PMIL positions are for the following specialties: Emergency & EMS, Critical Care, Neuroscience & Stroke, Medicine, Surgery, Cardiovascular, Women's Health, Children's Health, Cancer, Population and Public Health, Indigenous Health, Mental Health & Addiction, Continuing Care, Primary Care, Lab, and DI.

The PMILs will be seasoned physicians within the province of Alberta who understand the complexities of large-scale transformational change, are committed to continuous quality improvement, and can contribute to the innovation, integration, and consistency of patient-centered clinical care. The successful candidates would report to the assigned Physician Design Leads for their clinical program and the Chief Medical Information Officer, and will work closely with a number of teams within the Chief Medical Information Office, Clinical Operations Informatics Office, and Information Technology.

The posting will remain open until suitable candidates are found. 

For a full description of the position and to apply:

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2024-10-04

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 are listed below. Reminder that a camera icon in a blog post on any of our channels indicates that there is an accompanying screenshot - just click the icon to view. 

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2024-10-02

Order Sets - Order-Related Clinical Decision Supports

While we will highlight new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions in our Support channel if the change has a wide impact on prescribers, often changes are not flagged when the change is intuitive and does not require a new skill to be developed.

One such change could include a new or updated order set. Order sets (or "SmartSets" in outpatient contexts) are organized collections of information, tools and orderables that address a specific health condition or management challenge. They are one of the types of protocolled orders available in Connect Care that combine documentation, decision and inquiry-support for a more efficient and error-free ordering workflow. Clinicians are helped with uncommon health problems when, for example, the most relevant intervention orders are complemented by digests of relevant evidence-informed guidance. 

Our build teams do their best to make order sets as intuitive as possible. So, while it is a good idea to bookmark or subscribe to the Support channel to receive notice of updates in Connect Care, often, in the case of new/updated order sets, the "what you need to know" is simply to use the order set and follow the guidance embedded directly in that order set.

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2024-09-27

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 are listed below. Reminder that a camera icon in a blog post on any of our channels indicates that there is an accompanying screenshot - just click the icon to view. 

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2024-09-26

Between the Charts: CMIO Newsletter for Prescribers - Issue 11 Now Available

Our monthly newsletter for prescribers, called "Between the Charts", summarizes key news items, Epic system updates, efficiency tips and extras that will help prescribers optimize their Connect Care user experience, all in two pages. The next issue is now out, available at the below link! This issue includes information on:

  • New general Personalization training sessions
  • Upcoming downtime on October 10
  • Heparin infusion order panel improvements 
  • Clinical Optimization – Continuous Improvement Sprints
  • Upcoming auto-expiry of additional In Basket message types
  • Upcoming update for Dragon Medical One's DragonBar
  • Complex Therapy Plan tab
  • How to avoid problems with community referrals and consults
  • Epic's Physician Builder courses
  • And more!

The previous issues can still be accessed, via the archive in the Connect Care Manual. 

If you have any feedback on this issue or have a suggestion for content you'd like included in a future issue, please send us an email.

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Seeking Digital Health Provincial Physician Design Leads

Alberta Health Services is seeking passionate leaders to fill multiple available positions as Digital Health Provincial Physician Design Leads (PDLs). The PDLs will lead and oversee the strategic direction and execution of digital transformation in health care across the province. This senior leadership role combines clinical expertise with digital health vision to shape and guide the future of clinical information systems through:

  • oversight of the maintenance and improvement of knowledge and workflows in clinical information systems with a goal to improve quality, efficiency, and safety of patient care;
  • engaging with prescribers, clinical leaders, and other stakeholders to gather input and advice on clinical information system improvements, as well as to champion system adoption; and
  • directing the development of communications and education materials for prescribers to drive optimal system use and improve user satisfaction. 

The PDLs will be seasoned physicians within the province of Alberta who understand the complexities of large-scale transformational change, are committed to continuous quality improvement, and can contribute to the innovation, integration, and consistency of patient-centered clinical care. The successful candidates would report to the Chief Medical Information Officer and work closely with a number of teams within the Chief Medical Information Office, Clinical Operations Informatics Office, and Information Technology.

The posting will remain open until suitable candidates are found. 

For a full description of the position and to apply:

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How to Avoid Problems with Community Referrals and Consults

Reminder that most community providers do not have access to Connect Care, and therefore they are unable to send referrals to AHS sites via Connect Care or view information on Connect Care. To avoid  problems with community referrals and consults, prescribers at AHS sites should:

  • Accept incoming referrals regardless of the modality of transmission (e.g., fax, mail, Connect Care). Not all community providers have access to send referrals via Connect Care, and it is not a requirement for them to do so to make referrals to AHS sites.
  • Avoid saying “see Connect Care” in outbound documentation including summative notes. Not all community providers have access to view the information in Connect Care, and they may log a ticket if they are told to do so. There are tools in Connect Care that make it easier to share information externally - see the memo for details.

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2024-09-20

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 are listed below. Reminder that a camera icon in a blog post on any of our channels indicates that there is an accompanying screenshot - just click the icon to view. 

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2024-09-13

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 are listed below. Reminder that a camera icon in a blog post on any of our channels indicates that there is an accompanying screenshot - just click the icon to view. 

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2024-09-09

Consult Order Optimization Project - Adult Medical (Part 2) and Critical Care Consult Orders

As previously posted, the Consult Order Optimization Project seeks to ensure that inpatient consult orders only exist in facilities where that service is provided using the consult order process. The last phase of the project goes live Tuesday, September 10, 2024, and focuses on Adult Medical (part 2) and Critical Care consult orders.

  • Where a consult order does not exist within a facility: 
    • For non-urgent consults or those for telephone advice only, consider calling/paging directly using the Regional On-Call Application (ROCA) or local call schedule information.
    • For urgent consults or for patients requiring inter-facility acceptance/transfer, use the Connect Care RAAPID Service Request Order. No phone calls are required, unless the patient condition changes.
    • For hyper-emergent situations requiring the most expeditious consult or transport, call RAAPID by phone directly (do not use Connect Care RAAPID Service Request Order).
  • If you detect any errors in the list of affected orders found in the zonal PowerPoint presentations linked below (i.e., a missing order or an order present that should not be), please submit a ticket or call Help Desk 1-877-311-4300. 
    • Please specify which consult order and whether you are the consultant that responds to that consult order or the attending, ED physician or other clinician requesting that service for your patient.

For more information: 

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2024-08-30

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 are listed below. Reminder that a camera icon in a blog post on any of our channels indicates that there is an accompanying screenshot - just click the icon to view. 

Categories:

2024-08-29

Between the Charts: CMIO Newsletter for Prescribers - Issue 10 Now Available

Our monthly newsletter for prescribers, called "Between the Charts", summarizes key news items, Epic system updates, efficiency tips and extras that will help prescribers optimize their Connect Care user experience, all in two pages. The next issue is now out, available at the below link! This issue includes information on:

  • Fall Connect Care upgrade and downtime
  • Optimization Training classes in September
  • New Connect Quality project on improving Problem List use, to meet CPSA's Standards of Practice Quality Improvement requirement
  • Enhancement to Admission and Discharge navigators
  • Upcoming Glucometer Overview column in Patient Lists
  • Sorting Patient Lists by location
  • Upcoming admission and discharge In Basket notifications
  • Adding on additional lab tests
  • Address-level document and results delivery for mixed-context providers
  • And more!

The previous issues can still be accessed, via the archive in the Connect Care Manual. 

If you have any feedback on this issue or have a suggestion for content you'd like included in a future issue, please send us an email.

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2024-08-26

Consult Order Optimization Project - Adult Medical (Part 1) Consult Orders

As previously posted, the Consult Order Optimization Project seeks to ensure that inpatient consult orders only exist in facilities where that service is provided using the consult order process. The next phase of the project goes live Tuesday, August 27, 2024, and focuses on Adult Medical (part 1) consult orders.

  • Where a consult order does not exist within a facility: 
    • For non-urgent consults or those for telephone advice only, consider calling/paging directly using the Regional On-Call Application (ROCA) or local call schedule information.
    • For urgent consults or for patients requiring inter-facility acceptance/transfer, use the Connect Care RAAPID Service Request Order. No phone calls are required, unless the patient condition changes.
    • For hyper-emergent situations requiring the most expeditious consult or transport, call RAAPID by phone directly (do not use Connect Care RAAPID Service Request Order).
  • If you detect any errors in the list of affected orders found in the zonal PowerPoint presentations linked below (i.e., a missing order or an order present that should not be), please submit a ticket or call Help Desk 1-877-311-4300. 
    • Please specify which consult order and whether you are the consultant that responds to that consult order or the attending, ED physician or other clinician requesting that service for your patient.

For more information: 

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2024-08-19

Document and Results Routing Optimization (Action May Be Required)

On August 25, 2024, Alberta Health Services (AHS) Connect Care will be able to deliver more clinical documents and results to specific provider locations (typically where the patient was seen, rather than a default provider address). This may affect results delivery settings for some providers.  

Providers working at more than one health service location have been contacted with a request to verify their primary or default clinical address. In addition, prescribers are asked to confirm delivery methods for any additional practice locations. (Note: To have this change in effect on August 25, change requests must be received by AHS by August 19; change requests submitted later will be processed as soon as possible.)

Most prescribers are not affected. However, mixed-context providers (using Connect Care at AHS facilities and a different record of care elsewhere) will be able to choose a primary results delivery address other than the default Connect Care In Basket. If activated, this option causes results for tests ordered when working at AHS (currently received via Connect Care In Basket) to be sent to the alternate primary location. Results are always available in Connect Care. 

To choose a routing preference, prescribers should consider where results should be received if a test requisition does not include a service location. In most cases, the best primary location will be where most clinical work is done. For providers that work at AHS and elsewhere equally, the best primary delivery location may continue to be Connect Care In Basket. The system will use a patient's relationship with a primary care provider to help redirect information to where the patient was seen.

This change is one in a series of results delivery optimizations. Prescribers may continue to receive some duplicate results, but these should arrive at the most appropriate location. Future enhancements will significantly reduce duplicate result deliveries. 

For more information, see the Connect Care Results Routing Optimization Overview. 

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BBHR: Integrated Discharge Planning Tool Eases Team Edits

Building a Better Health Record (BBHR)

As part of our documentation quality improvement initiative, we promote practical ways for clinicians to provide clear and actionable communication at transitions of care.

Integrated Discharge Planning 'Traffic Lights'

The Rapid Rounds patient list includes a "Readiness" column with 'traffic light' symbols indicative of a patient's readiness for discharge. This indicator is based upon determinations from multiple health care disciplines. Double-clicking on the column icon for a patient brings up an integrated discharge planning tool that facilitates simultaneous editing of readiness, expected discharge date, discharge destination and level of care. 

The same tool can be adctivated from the Rapid Rounds Report (click on the "discharge readiness" section text) or the chart Sidebar Transition Plan (again, click on the "discharge readiness" section text).

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2024-08-16

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 are listed below. Reminder that a camera icon in a blog post on any of our channels indicates that there is an accompanying screenshot - just click the icon to view. 

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2024-08-12

Consult Order Optimization Project - Pediatric Medical Consult Orders

As previously posted, the Consult Order Optimization Project seeks to ensure that inpatient consult orders only exist in facilities where that service is provided using the consult order process. The third phase of the project goes live Tuesday, August 13, 2024, and focuses on Pediatric Medical consult orders.

  • Where a consult order does not exist within a facility: 
    • For non-urgent consults or those for telephone advice only, consider calling/paging directly using the Regional On-Call Application (ROCA) or local call schedule information.
    • For urgent consults or for patients requiring inter-facility acceptance/transfer, use the Connect Care RAAPID Service Request Order. No phone calls are required, unless the patient condition changes.
    • For hyper-emergent situations requiring the most expeditious consult or transport, call RAAPID by phone directly (do not use Connect Care RAAPID Service Request Order).
  • If you detect any errors in the list of affected orders found in the zonal PowerPoint presentations linked below (i.e., a missing order or an order present that should not be), please submit a ticket or call Help Desk 1-877-311-4300. 
    • Please specify which consult order and whether you are the consultant that responds to that consult order or the attending, ED physician or other clinician requesting that service for your patient.

For more information: 

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