Clinicians have been asking about how they will access information from health information systems that will be fully integrated into the Connect Care clinical information system (CIS); and how the provincial CIS will work with those few applications that AHS will keep in parallel with the CIS.
The majority of AHS’s health information systems will be integrated into the Connect Care CIS, with functions and databases replaced by a seamless information environment. The integration work will involve data conversion, so that information from replaced systems is transformed to fit CIS data definitions, decision supports and other dependencies. Not all data will be suitable for conversion, leaving some historical material outside of the CIS for a period of time. Clinicians will be able to access this data for as long as it is needed.
While the Connect Care CIS will be a pivotal integrative technology, some external applications are needed to support the whole of AHS' business operations over time. If and how these applications will "talk" to each other (interoperate) is also addressed by the Connect Care Integration strategy.
Integration and interoperation of health data are intensive processes, requiring technical specialists to build transfers and exchanges. A list of integrations to be completed as part of the Connect Care initiative is maintained within Connect Care SharePoint spaces. The list includes all integrations confirmed by the Connect Care Executive Committee (CCEC).
Intensive integration, data conversion and interoperability work anticipates Connect Care launch, in continuity with our earliest scope management principles and processes: