Connect Care Mobility Supports for Professional Billing Resume

The Connect Care clinical information system (CIS) supports prescribers wishing to record “charges” (billable professional services) during or after patient care. Participating prescribers typically personalize charge capture tools in Hyperspace so that common codes and modifiers are immediately available. 

Further efficiencies are possible when Connect Care mobile applications for smartphones (Haiku) and iPads (Canto) are used to manage repetitive billing tasks. Having previously posted about problems that required temporary suspension of mobile billing supports, we are pleased to report their reintroduction with many improvements.

The Manual highlights a few of the differences between billing activities in Hyperspace, Haiku and Canto. Two new tip-sheets explore the powerful billing functions available for immediate use.

• Manual: Mobile Charge Capture
• Tip: Mobile Service Code Capture - Haiku
• Tip: Mobile Service Code Capture - Canto

Subscribing to Connect Care Blogs - Updated

Blogs (short periodic online postings) can help clinicians to keep abreast of Connect Care developments, tips, questions and supports. All prescriber-oriented blogs are available via a common link:

• blogs.connect-care.ca

Different “channels” address different needs:

• Bytes (bytes.connect-care.ca): General interest news and updates
• Bridges (bridges.connect-care.ca): Topics of interest to clinicians not using Connect Care as the record of care
• Vlogs (vlogs.connect-care.ca): Short video postings introducing Connect Care
• Tips (tips.connect-care.ca): How-to messages that can improve user experiences
• FAQ (questions.connect-care.ca): Frequently asked questions about features and functions
• Informatics (informatics.connect-care.ca): Updates of interest to clinical informaticians
• Support (support.connect-care.ca): Peer-to-peer help with problems

All channels can be accessed from any other channel by using a button-bar that appears immediately below the blog title area. Select a button to jump to the channel of interest.

Note that the button bar also provides easy access to the Connect Care Manual, eHealth Glossary, MyLearningLink and HelpDesk. The far-right button will open a global search page that queries all blog channels at once. If searching within a channel, use the Search box towards the top of the left column.

By “subscribing” to a blog, one can be alerted to new material via email messages. A "Follow (subscribe)" tool in the middle of the right column allows an email address to be entered. The associated email distribution service has been switched to a new provider, simplifying the subscription process.

NOTE: All existing subscribers are required to confirm their subscription. Look to the top of the first of the new email newsletters and click on the link indicating confirmation of intent to continue.

• Tip: Using Connect Care Blogs

In Basket - Courtesy Copies Now in Transcription Folder

We've previously posted about the upcoming Connect Care Spring 2021 Upgrade, occurring on June 24, 2021. With this upgrade, Connect Care users will see courtesy copies of transcriptions created by eScription at sites not yet on Connect Care in the "Transcription" folder of their In Basket. 

If you have any questions about this new function, please contact: speechrecognition@ahs.ca.

• Manual: In Basket

On Other Channels...

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

• General
• Referral Management in Connect Care
• End of Support for iOS 12 as of June 16, 2021
• Easier and More Flexible (Re-)Printing of Discharge Prescriptions
• Improved Goals of Care Designation Order
• Connect Care CMIO Refresher Training
• Netcare Scheduled Outage - June 17, 2021, 21:00-03:00 June 18, 2021
• Changes to Available Lab Results in MyHealth Records/My Personal Records
• Connect Care Transparent Lockdown - June 18, 2021 12:00-04:30 June 24, 2021
• COVID and Connect Care
• COVID-19 and Connect Care - Outpatient Vaccination Orders
• Acute Care COVID-19 Vaccinations Order Set Updated
• COVID-19 Tippy - Placing COVID Vaccination Orders
• Tips
• Tippy Series
• Questions
• How can I reprint a discharge prescription?
• Manual
• COVID-19 - Connect Care Resources
• See What's New (many updates and additions)

Changes to Available Lab Results in MyHealth Records/My Personal Records

Effective June 15, 2021, lab tests for microbiology and blood bank will be released immediately to Alberta Health’s MyHealth Records, in the My Personal Records (MPR) application. This change is part of Alberta Health’s rollout of expanded result release, which began in February 2021, to provide Albertans with more access to their health information.

Once the changes are in place, new MPR users will see an 18-month retrospective view of any lab results slated for release. Existing MPR users will not have labs added retroactively, but they will be able to see the expanded lab results moving forward. 

As is the standard practice, Connect Care releases these lab test results to MyAHS Connect. What’s new is that, as of June 15, 2021, these specific lab test results will be released immediately to MyAHS Connect, instead of being delayed by five days as they were previously. This means that patients will have immediate access to more of their own lab results and may have questions for their healthcare providers about them. As part of the overall rollout plan, Alberta Health is planning to release additional lab test results to MPR in the coming months. We will provide more details regarding the next planned release as we have them. MyAHS Connect result release will change to immediate for results being released in MPR as they become available. 

Alberta Health is providing support to Albertans through the MyHealth.Alberta.ca website and a 24-hour telephone line at 1-844-401-4016. Albertans can also call HealthLink at 811 for health-related inquiries.

Connect Care CMIO Refresher Training

Some Connect Care users trained in the earliest waves, particularly those who only occasionally use the system, may find it beneficial to have some refresher training to ensure they continue to have a positive user experience.

CMIO refresher training for Waves 1 and 2 CMIO users in the Edmonton Zone can be accessed in one of two ways:

• Register for Independent Learning on MyLearningLink, available for the following tracks (more tracks to be added, see below*):
• Epic – CMIO Addiction and Mental Health 
• Epic – CMIO Ambulatory 
• Epic – CMIO Anesthesia
• Epic – CMIO Cardiology 
• Epic – CMIO Critical Care Adult
• Epic – CMIO Diagnostic Imaging
• Epic – CMIO Emergency Medicine 
• Epic – CMIO Inpatient Admitting and Consulting
• Epic – CMIO Obstetrics and Gynecology 
• Epic – CMIO Pediatrics
• Epic – CMIO Rural
• Epic – CMIO Surgery
• Epic – CMIO Personalization (note: users need to complete their EUPA prior to registering)

OR

• Register for EZ Wave Basic or Personalization Instructor Led Training (ILT) on MyLearningLink 

There is no time limit to access refresher training through the Independent Learning option, and users can pick and choose what they would like to review. While Independent Learning takes approximately 1.5-2 hours to complete, the total time refresher training via this option would take depends on how much the user would like to review.

Refresher training via the Instructor Led Training option runs from August 30 to October 31, and is a repeat of users' original basic or personalization training. In-person and virtual options are available. Basic Instructor Led Training for most tracks takes approximately 6 hours, and personalization Instructor Led Training takes approximately 4 hours. 

For any questions or if your track is not listed, please email CMIO.EZ@ahs.ca.

*Independent Learning for NICU and Lumens will be available by September, and Independent Learning for all tracks will be available by the start of Wave 4 (November 7). Another notice with an updated list will be posted when available.

• Manual: Refresher Training

COVID-19 and Connect Care - Hospital Vaccinations Order Set Updated

Changing COVID-19 vaccine availability, paired with a constant imperative to immunize, makes it possible to offer vaccination to patients in AHS emergency and inpatient facilities, without some of the restrictions previously applied (e.g., 21-day stay).

The Connect Care inpatient (also available in ED) COVID-19 vaccine order set is updated to reflect changes in guidance about eligible patients and choice of second vaccine type.

• Manual: Hospital COVID-19 Vaccination Orders
• Byte: COVID-19 Vaccination (Inpatient)
• Byte: COVID-19 Vaccination (Outpatient)

Improved Goals of Care Designation Order

We've previously posted about how goals of care designations can be viewed, modified and maintained in Connect Care.

The order composer used to record a goals of care designation (GCD) has been enhanced (now available in all Connect Care modules) (click the icon to view the screenshot; below numbers correspond to numbers in screenshot).

1. Embedded summaries about the attributes of a particular GCD are more consistent and informative.
2. Links are provided to clinician-friendly GCD definitions as well as to guidance about goals of care workflows.
3. Clinicians can select more than one participant for GCD decisions, as appropriate.
4. A goals of care tracking record entry can be generated from a link embedded in the GCD order.

Goals of Care Designations persist across encounters, but need to be re-validated at the beginning of in-patient encounters.

• Manual: Goals of Care Management
• Manual: Goals of Care Designations

Easier and More Flexible (Re-)Printing of Discharge Prescriptions

An enhancement was added to the Connect Care production environment today to make it easier for prescribers to reprint discharge prescriptions at locations or devices other than the nursing unit that the patient is discharged from. This can be useful when a new or corrected prescription needs to be generated after the prescriber has left the unit, or if the prescriber is facilitating information transfer to a pharmacy from, for example, the prescriber's office.

• FAQ: How can I reprint a discharge prescription?
• Manual: Printing Discharge Documents

End of Support for iOS 12 as of June 16, 2021

On Wednesday, June 16, 2021, Mobility Services will start blocking new enrolments for Apple mobile devices running iOS version 12. Mobile devices currently enrolled into Workspace ONE with iOS 12 will have a grace period of 90 days to be upgraded to one of the currently supported iOS versions (iOS 13 or 14).

As previously posted, iOS 12 support has already been dropped by some of the application vendors that AHS currently uses, and so these applications are not able to be installed or upgraded on devices running iOS 12. AHS mobile policy also requires that mobile device operating systems be kept up to date, to ensure that AHS data and resources remain secure for all devices connecting to an AHS environment. 

What to expect:

• As of June 16, any Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program users who try to enrol a device running iOS 12 will get an "enrolment blocked" message and the enrolment will fail.
• Starting June 16, BYOD users with enrolled devices that are running iOS 12 will get emails and/or Workspace ONE Hub notices indicating the need to update to a later version within 90 days. 
• If a device is not upgraded to a supported iOS version in the 90-day grace period, it will automatically be unenrolled on the 91st day. Once unenrolled, all access to AHS data and resources will be removed from the device.
• During this grace period, support for devices running iOS 12 will be on a best effort, with a direction for users to upgrade to a later iOS version. 

For more information or assistance, please contact the AHS Service Desk at 1-877-311-4300.

COVID-19 and Connect Care - Outpatient Vaccination Orders

A previous posting explained a unique order-documentation workflow used for inpatients who might meet criteria for administration of a COVID-19 vaccination during a hospital encounter.

Primary and specialty care clinics that use Connect Care as the record of care can now order and administer COVID-19 vaccinations in outpatient settings. 

Each clinic will be aware of the specific vaccine type available within the clinic. There are orders available for each of these vaccine types. The clinic workflow is the same (with the same patient informing and consenting norms) as that used for other clinic vaccinations (e.g., influenza vaccine).

Use the order search tool with "covid v" to find these new orderables.

• Tip: Placing COVID-19 Vaccination Orders