Epic Systems Corporation has attained 'best in KLAS' for the 8th year in a row.
KLAS is a Utah Based Health Informatics research company that "helps healthcare providers make informed technology decisions by offering accurate, honest, and impartial vendor performance information." The company has been collecting ratings on healthcare industry software since 1997. There are 9 award categories and Epic placed highest in a number of them and overall.
Health informatics briefs for clinicians; from the Health Shared Services Chief Medical Information Office (CMIO@hssab.ca).
2018-01-30
2018-01-29
Clinician Information Sharing Compact
For Connect Care to achieve its goals, it is essential that health information be appropriately captured, documented, shared, disclosed and used. These are matters of information sharing. They touch the core of health care professionalism and change as clinicians move from siloed paper records to shared digital records.
In order to address the need for new information sharing norms, and to account for professional obligations and legislative imperatives, a Clinical Information Sharing Compact has been developed by AHS in collaboration with healthcare professionals. Its adoption can promote effective information sharing in clinical information systems.
A compact is clear statement of reciprocal expectations and accountabilities between two groups. It is not a legal contract but is a matter of public accountability. Compacts emerge from collaborative efforts to understand shared interests. They leverage common goals – such as improving care for patients and populations – to discover how stakeholder interests can be best aligned.
In order to address the need for new information sharing norms, and to account for professional obligations and legislative imperatives, a Clinical Information Sharing Compact has been developed by AHS in collaboration with healthcare professionals. Its adoption can promote effective information sharing in clinical information systems.
A compact is clear statement of reciprocal expectations and accountabilities between two groups. It is not a legal contract but is a matter of public accountability. Compacts emerge from collaborative efforts to understand shared interests. They leverage common goals – such as improving care for patients and populations – to discover how stakeholder interests can be best aligned.
2018-01-26
Precision Health and Connect Care
The Alberta Academic Health Network, linking Alberta Health Services with Alberta's researh institutions, has initiated work on an Alberta Precision Health Strategy. This anticipates powerful new capabilities associated with a fully integrated clinical information system supporting the province-wide Connect Care initiative. There will be entirely new opportunities to learn from how health care works in Alberta... or best 'internal' evidence that can be matched to best 'external' evidence produced by clinical research about the effects of health interventions in other populations. Knowing more about the exact characteristics of persons who react differently to the same treatmetns can help practitioners craft care plans that more precisely arrest disease processes while rallying patients' own disease defences. The Connect Care team will collaborate with Precision Health Alberta to make the most of in-system analytics and clinical inquiry supports.
2018-01-25
Ottawa Healthcare Facilities Adopt Information Integration Strategy
A number of Ottawa facilities, including the regional pediatric hospital, community hospitals and academic health centres, gather in a growing 'cluster' sharing a common clinical information system. This expands adoption of Epic Systems in Eastern Ontario where costs are shared working from a common build. Patients benefit when multiple providers and facilities work from a shared record.
Connect Care has already built liaison bridges to Ontario groups on or adopting Epic-enabled integrated health systems. A Canadian user group is formed and will seek opportunities to further extend collaboration and sharing of evidence-informed content.
Connect Care has already built liaison bridges to Ontario groups on or adopting Epic-enabled integrated health systems. A Canadian user group is formed and will seek opportunities to further extend collaboration and sharing of evidence-informed content.
2018-01-24
Apple Announces Mobile Health Records Application
Apple's next release of its 'iOS' operating system for mobility (iPhone, iPad) is now in beta testing. A new feature, called 'Health Records' extends many incremental developments (HealthKit, ResearchKit, CareKit, Activity App, Health App) to pull everything together in a personally managed health record. More importantly, this is standards-based 'Health Record' app adheres to the HL-7 FHIR standard, allowing incorporation of content gathered from full digital health record run by healthcare organizations.
Of relevance to Connect Care, the soon-to-be-released app works with Epicare and will release ready to interface with clients like Johns Hopkins Medicine. In any case, Apple's foray into personal health records is sure to stir things up!
2018-01-22
Clinical Telehealth becomes Virtual Health Services
The Alberta Health Service (AHS) Clinical Telehealth program is newly reorganized as "Virtual Health Services" (VHS) under the dyad leadership of Dr. Jonathan Choy (medical) and Catherine Keenan (operational), with oversight through the Chief Medical Office portfolio.
VHS is responsible for the introduction, adoption, promotion and monitoring of processes and technology enabling high quality and effective patient care anywhere. Services include traditional video conferencing, as well as electronic consultations, store and forward, secure messaging and remote patient monitoring. The vision for VHS is closely coupled with that for Connect Care and will leverage the many tools and processes afforded by a fully integrated digital health record.
A new, Connect Care aware, VHS strategy is in the works. Interested stakeholders are encouraged to assist with direction setting. Contact Jonathan (jonathan.choy@ahs.ca) or Catherine (catherine.keenan@ahs.ca) for more information.
2018-01-21
Epic Announces Option for Small Practices and Facilities
First described at the 2017 Epic User Group meeting attended by some of our physician leads, Epic has formally announced 'Sonnet', a stripped down variant of its digital health record software optimized for small hospitals, clinics and physician practices. It's workflows are streamlined and standardized, coupled with a quick-install methodology and ready-to-use designs.
In is uncertain how long before this kind of offering might become available in Canada. Sonnet could bring affordable options to smaller practices wanting to connect with fully integrated clinical information systems.
In is uncertain how long before this kind of offering might become available in Canada. Sonnet could bring affordable options to smaller practices wanting to connect with fully integrated clinical information systems.
2018-01-19
Epicare 2017 Software now in-Province for further Development
We are thrilled to learn that all 6 non-production Epic 2017 environments are now installed and functioning in Alberta in support of Connect Care! This is a key milestone, timed exactly right (and on time), as we prepare clinicians and support staff for intense direction-setting and design activities over the next months.
The foundation build will be upgraded to Epic's 2018 software in March. This will be the environment that most trainees, designers, deveopers and testers work with. Important clinical repository interfacing can now proceed with key databases and codesets up and running.
Connect care has the first elements of its technology foundation!
2018-01-17
Connect Care Physician Information Resources
As Connect Care ramps up and speeds up, communications increase exponentially. It can be difficult for stakeholders to track what affects them the most. The AHS CMIO will continue to advocate for clinician interests and will work with physician and other practitioner groups to customize and optimize communication strategies.
For now, general Connect Care information is readily available via an open public website (see links). Focused project information is available to Connect Care participants via an internal AHS website and comprehensive Connect Care activity supports are managed via an internal SharePoint site (see links).
Physician users of Connect Care services can also access a Connect Care Physician Handbook. This handbook provides guides and tips, largely prepared by clinicians for clinicians. The Handbook is intended as a form of peer-to-peer mentoring and support. It can be accessed directly with its web link or as part of the Clinical Improvement Collaboratory.
Physician users of Connect Care services can also access a Connect Care Physician Handbook. This handbook provides guides and tips, largely prepared by clinicians for clinicians. The Handbook is intended as a form of peer-to-peer mentoring and support. It can be accessed directly with its web link or as part of the Clinical Improvement Collaboratory.
If you believe you should be able to access one of these sites, but are unable to do so, please contact cmio@ahs.ca.
- Connect Care External website: connect-care.ca
- Connect Care Internal website: ahs-cis.ca/insite
- Connect Care Internal SharePoint: ahs-cis.ca/sharepoint
- Connect Care Physician Handbook: handbook.ahs-cis.ca
- Clinical Improvement Collaboratory: clinicalimprovement.ca
2018-01-16
US Regulatory Agency Rules on Use of Clinical Text Messaging
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the United States may have brought some clarity to whether text messaging can be used to communicate clinical information supporting health care. CMS has confirmed that in order to be compliant with conditions for reimbursement coverage, providers must use messaging systems that are secure, encrypted and maintained for privacy and confidentiality protections. Messaging integral to a Clinical Information System would comply. Separate non-integrated systems must meet discrete security standards. This reinforces our commitment to enable unified and integrated secure clinical messaging as an integral part of the Connect Care ecosystem.
- HealthCareITNews article: li.ahs-cmio.ca/20180108a
2018-01-15
New Connect Care Physician Design Lead
Dr. Alan Sobey joins Connect Care as its new Physician Design Lead. Dr. Sobey brings over 20 years of experience to the role, highly regarded as a surgeon and intensivist. He received his MD from the University of Alberta and will soon complete his Masters of Science in Health Information Science at the University of Victoria. In addition to his Design Lead role, Dr. Sobey will continue contributions as a Clinical Knowledge Lead, and remains clinically grounded in the Department of Critical Care at the University of Alberta. Dr. Sobey is the proud father of three and grandfather of two. He loves to cook, read, cycle and swim and has started to play the guitar (no tours in the offing!).
- CMIO Physician Leads: ahs-cmio.ca/contacts
2018-01-11
Alberta Clinical Trials Registry Online
Alberta’s universities, working with Alberta Health Services and the Northern Alberta Clinical Trials and Research Centre, now support an online database of clinical trials registered or active in Alberta. “Be The Cure” intends value for patients seeking information about possible new treatments, and for researchers planning new studies or recruiting for ongoing studies. Follow the link for more information. The link has also been added to the Clinical Improvement Collaboratory (clinicalimprovement.ca).
- More info:
BeTheCure.ca - Trial registry:
bethecure.ca/find-a-clinical-trial
2018-01-04
Connect Care - Giving Direction
For clinical improvement to follow Connect Care (CC) implementation, it is vitally important that physicians integrate new informational tools into daily workflows in a meaningful way. For this to happen, they must also be directly involved in decisions about how the CC Clinical Information System (CIS) is designed and configured. A system adapted to Alberta’s front-line opportunities and constraints has the best chance of success.
A key first opportunity for input comes during “Direction-Setting” sessions scheduled for early 2018. These tap into clinician perspectives to guide basic choices about how common workflows will be supported by Connect Care. Physicians participating in Direction-Setting will:
A key first opportunity for input comes during “Direction-Setting” sessions scheduled for early 2018. These tap into clinician perspectives to guide basic choices about how common workflows will be supported by Connect Care. Physicians participating in Direction-Setting will:
- review groundwork information about common workflows and practices;
- guide translation of optimized processes into Connect Care workflows;
- ensure that proposed workflows align with AHS goals and policies.
2018-01-02
Recognizing AHS Secure Emails
The AHS Connect Care initiative will support unified clinical communications, all securely integrated with the legal record of care. Until Connect Care is deployed, Alberta Health services (AHS) provides health care providers with the opportunity to transmit clinical information via secure email, including encrypted email to external addresses. This is enbled with an add-on to AHS Microsoft Exchange email services. Clinicians receiving encrypted emails sent to non-AHS email addresses may not recognize the source or type of communication; and might rightly suspect a phishing or hacking attempt. Emails from an AHS address that contain “You have received an email message secured by Private Post” in the body, and bear an “Encrypted_Message.htm” attachment, are okay to open and review.
Clinical Secure Messaging:
stq.ahs-cis.ca/?=12153
stq.ahs-cis.ca/?=12153
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