2023-09-29

Update Your Applications to Protect Yourself and AHS

AHS has recently learned of a global security flaw found in numerous applications and services.

This vulnerability (found in an image library called “libwebp”) affects several well-known applications, including many you may use on your personal devices such as Skype, Slack, Discord, Twitch, Microsoft Teams and Adobe Photoshop. A list of currently known applications can be found here.

As soon as possible, please update all browsers and applications on your personal devices. As a best practice, you should always keep your browsers, applications and operating systems up-to-date. This will be particularly important over the coming days and weeks, as applications discover whether they are vulnerable to this security flaw and apply fixes. 

AHS is taking steps to mitigate any risk to this threat and taking similar actions to protect our systems and devices. We are sharing this information with all staff so you can help us keep AHS secure and ensure your own devices are protected.

For more information on how to protect yourself and AHS online, visit Infocare for resources.

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Countdown Checklist L7, T-minus 36: Meet the Connect Care Concierge

Continuing our list of essential actions for Connect Care Launch 7 prescribers readying for launch November 5, 2023...
  • Meet Your Connect Care Concierge! 
A unified intake portal for Connect Care user support, the "Concierge", is at your service!

Check it out and familiarize yourself with methods for seeking help when you need it.

A unified intake process allows user needs to be captured, channeled and tracked. All users, Super Users and helpers can enter requests and suggestions. The Connect Care “Concierge” service offers a single point of capture for help, feedback and requests (help.connect-care.ca is easy to remember).
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2023-09-27

Countdown Checklist L7, T-minus 38: Get Ready for Mobility

Continuing our list of essential actions for Connect Care Launch 7 prescribers readying for launch November 5, 2023...
  • Get Ready for Mobility and Speech Recognition
Connect Care mobile apps (Haiku, Limerick and Canto) allow access to the patient chart on personal devices anywhere there is Internet access. Dragon Medical One transforms Android or Apple smartphones into transcription devices for dictation directly into the medical record. 

AHS uses the "Workspace ONE" application to distribute these clinical applications to mobile devices, while ensuring the devices work with Connect Care to protect patient information.
  • Haiku – Connect Care for iPhones or Android smartphones.
  • Limerick – Installs on Apple Watches and works with Haiku alerting functions.
  • Canto – Connect Care on iPad tablets.
  • PowerMic Mobile – Installs to iPhones or Android smartphones for speech recognition (allowing in-system dictation and voice commands to Connect Care).
Mobile apps have proven very popular with prescribers. They simplify anywhere/anytime access to lists, patient information, dictation, notes, orders and communications. Clinicians will want to set these up as soon as basic training is complete:
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2023-09-25

Countdown Checklist L7, T-minus 40: Check AHS Security Profile

Continuing a list of essential actions for Connect Care Launch 7 prescribers readying for launch November 5, 2023...
  • Update Your AHS Security Profile
This task anticipates future calls to the AHS IT HelpDesk or Connect Care Solution Centre. Among other things, prescribers may need help with login credentials or remote access Tokens.

HelpDesk must confirm the identity of callers. This is done with a security profile, including special questions and answers, that the prescriber can set up independently, as explained in the Connect Care Manual.

All Launch 7 prescribers are asked to check and possibly update their security profile: Upon authenticating to the IAM user section, look for a "Update Security Questions" in the bottom-left column. You will set a secret word and answers to a series of security-prompt questions. Remember the answers! (Note: You must have a Token for external access or do this from within AHS networks.)
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2023-09-22

Countdown Checklist L7, T-minus 43: Complete and Close Legacy Charts

Continuing a list of essential actions for Connect Care Launch 7 prescribers readying for launch November 5, 2023...
  • Complete and Close Legacy Charts
Incomplete charts at Launch 7 sites need physician attention pre-launch. Moving to a new clinical information system (CIS) is hard if pre-existing records are not tidied up.

Physicians must attend to ALL incomplete Launch 7 AHS health records by November 4, 2023. This includes outstanding dictations and signatures for inpatient and day surgery health records, not just those that are overdue. 

After 05:00 on November 5, 2023, records will be completed through the Connect Care CIS rather than external dictation or eScription. Any outstanding incomplete records that exist at cutover will not be transitioned into Connect Care. Any incomplete health records on inpatients discharged on/after November 5, 2023 will be completed in Connect Care. 

Physicians can contact Health Records at the Launch 7 sites Monday to Friday 07:45–16:00 to obtain a list of incomplete charts requiring attention.   
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2023-09-21

Connect Care Satisfaction Survey - Conversation on Findings (UPDATED LINK for Sep 21)

Connect Care prescribers are invited to a conversation about what is working and what to prioritize for improvement in the Connect Care clinical information system.

This conversation will provide an opportunity to discuss the findings of the Connect Care satisfaction survey conducted in February and March 2023 (previously mentioned here), and to hear your thoughts on the actions that are being taken to address your feedback. 

Two sessions are available for this conversation: one jointly hosted by AHS and the AMA, and one hosted by AHS for AHS staff and prescribers. To register/attend, click on the relevant link below. (Please note: Physicians may receive two email invitations, one for each of these sessions - physicians can choose to attend one or both sessions, at their convenience.) 

If you have any questions in advance of the conversation, please email community.engagement@ahs.ca.

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2023-09-20

MyAHS Connect - Prescriber Self Sign-up Available

We previously posted that the ability for Connect Care prescribers and AHS staff to activate their own MyAHS Connect account had to be temporarily turned off following the Fall Upgrade. We are happy to announce that a workaround has been found, and this self sign-up functionality has been turned back on. 

The self sign-up initiative enables Connect Care prescribers to activate their own MyAHS Connect account and 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. Nearly 5,200 AHS staff and prescribers have completed the self sign-up process to activate their own MyAHS Connect account.

Instructions on how to complete a self sign-up request are available on Insite (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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Countdown Checklist L7, T-minus 45: Get Ready for Clinical Data Conversion

Continuing a list of essential actions for Connect Care Launch 7 prescribers readying for launch November 5, 2023...
  • Anticipate Clinical Data Conversion
Manual Clinical Data Conversion is the process of manually transcribing existing clinical patient information that is required to ensure patient safety or continuity of care into Connect Care, and/or manually reconciling information that was electronically transferred into Connect Care from legacy records. This information may include allergies/adverse reactions, active problem list, past medical history, etc. Ambulatory clinic managers and prescribers collaborate to determine if their area needs to participate in this activity. 

Manual Clinical Data Conversion occurs October 10–November 3. Departments that have decided to participate will have their regulated healthcare professionals manually enter and/or reconcile clinical patient information in Connect Care. If data conversion is not done pre-launch, departments may have regulated healthcare staff enter/reconcile the information during the patient's first appointment after launch. Three essential prescriber actions for Manual Clinical Data Conversion are: 
  1. Collaborate with ambulatory clinic managers to assess which data elements (if any) must be manually converted into Connect Care. 
  2. Assist with manual clinical data conversion activities as needed. 
  3. Provide quality review of converted data as needed.
For more information on Manual Clinical Data Conversion, see below. Information on Manual Clinical Orders Conversion is in an earlier Checklist post. 
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2023-09-18

Countdown Checklist L7, T-minus 47: Get Ready for Clinical Orders Conversion

Continuing a list of essential actions for Connect Care Launch 7 prescribers readying for launch November 5, 2023...
  • Anticipate Clinical Orders Conversion
Manual Clinical Orders Conversion is the manual entry into Connect Care of scheduled patients’ recurrent/standing clinical orders in advance of launch. Outpatient clinics (day medicine, MOU) and some ED settings that deliver recurrent, scheduled therapies must complete this activity to ensure orders can be actioned by department staff, blood bank, and pharmacy at launch. 

Four weeks before launch, outpatient treatment departments will begin the process, entering orders from the legacy system into Connect Care for patients scheduled for treatments from launch onwards. Only patients who have been prescribed treatments from prescribers who have completed basic training will be able to have their orders active in Connect Care. This is a system requirement when selecting an ordering prescriber responsible for treatment.

For prescribers who have patients scheduled for treatment as described above, there are two essential actions for Manual Clinical Orders Conversion: 
  • All site privileged prescribers must complete their basic training and EUPA, to ensure they have Connect Care access 4 weeks prior to launch, by October 4. These prerequisites are necessary for clinicians to be able to transcribe your orders. Specific site privileges are necessary to prescribe treatments delivered at an AHS location.
    • Note: Once you have completed your EUPA, you may begin receiving In Basket messages in Connect Care. This is how the departments will send orders to you for clarification and, if necessary, for signing. 
  • If you plan to order recurrent therapy plans, it will be your responsibly to enter these orders directly into Connect Care post-launch. Attend a prescriber-facilitated session for additional training in therapy plans (see earlier post for details).
Information on Manual Clinical Data Conversion will follow in a later Checklist post. 
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2023-09-15

All User Bulletin - Issues with Links to AHS MS Office and SharePoint Files

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

Links to MS Office and SharePoint Assets
Many users have noticed broken links to resources like training demonstrations, workflow guides and other Connect Care information and support resources. Others are having difficulty with the logon step presented when accessing Alberta Health Services (AHS) Office or SharePoint applications, especially on mobile and Apple devices.

A recent update to the authentication step in Microsoft file links may relate to these difficulties.

Links and logons are usually re-established with the following corrective:
  • Close all Internet browsers (Safari, Edge, Chrome, Firefox, etc.) on the local device.
  • Open a preferred browser (Chrome recommended).
  • Clear the Internet cache (history), paying particular attention to include "Cookies" and Internet history for "all time" (i.e., not just the last day or so).
  • Close the browser.
  • Reopen (possibly reboot the computer first) the browser and re-navigate to the resource of interest.
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Countdown Checklist L7, T-minus 50: Complete Basic Training

Continuing a list of essential actions for Connect Care Launch 7 prescribers readying for launch November 5, 2023...
  • Complete Basic Training
All Connect Care users must demonstrate basic proficiency (based on basic training) before gaining access to the Connect Care clinical information system (CIS) and undertaking personalization and mobility training.

The EUPA ("End User Proficiency Assessment") is used to assess basic proficiency. It becomes available in MyLearningLink (MLL) with basic training registration, and is to be completed after basic training is complete. The assessment is done online. It is not hard and is "open book" alongside a Connect Care environment (practice in PLY, check EXAM while assessment is in progress) with access to training guides. To prepare, practice in addition to basic training is recommended.

Don't procrastinate! It is better to take the EUPA, not get the needed 80%, and then re-take. Delaying only keeps one from progressing to personalization. And there is no access to the full production CIS unless both On Our Best Behaviours (OOBB; Privacy & Confidentiality Training, InfoCare) and EUPA are complete (note that it may take up to 12 hours after passing the EUPA to gain access).

After completing the EUPA, check to see if it shows under your "Completed" tab in MLL. If not, don't worry! Use the following link to affirm that you have completed, and you will be moved to pass.
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2023-09-14

All User Bulletin - Change to Calgary Historic Patient Data Viewer

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

Changes to Calgary Historic Patient Data Viewer
We previously posted about a read-only Connect Care viewer for digital health record information previously managed through the Calgary Zone SCM clinical information system (CIS). Access was provided via a main-panel or sidebar display within opened Connect Care charts.
Changes to the Calgary CIS viewer break compatibility with in-system displays. Accordingly, as of 11:00 on September 14, 2023, the viewer will open in a pop-up window. This will continue to automatically synchronize with the current patient. The window will close when one navigates to a different patient within Connect Care.
Restoration of an embedded viewer is anticipated for first quarter 2024.
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2023-09-13

Countdown Checklist L7, T-minus 52: Consider UserWeb Access

Continuing a list of essential actions for Connect Care Launch 7 prescribers readying for launch November 5, 2023...
  • (Optional) Register for UserWeb Access
While Epic Systems software is but one part of the Connect Care clinical information system, it provides essential database, integration, and all user interface functions. 

Understanding the Epic ecosystem can make a difference to Connect Care users who wish to become a resource to their peers (e.g., Super User). A wealth of information is available through Epic's "UserWeb". 

Connect Care Manual and blog postings may reference UserWeb resources, available only to those with UserWeb login credentials. These are easy to obtain (be sure to use your AHS email when registering):
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2023-09-11

Countdown Checklist L7, T-minus 54: Get Ready for Billing

Continuing a list of essential actions for Connect Care Launch 7 prescribers readying for launch November 5, 2023...
  • Get Ready for Billing with Connect Care
In getting ready to launch, you have likely heard that Connect Care can do billing. While true, access to full billing management in Connect Care, i.e., Resolute Professional Billing, is limited to the cohort of physicians who have a pre-existing billing arrangement, as well as all nurse practitioners (NPs), once their site launches Connect Care. Most prescribers then will not use Resolute, but can use the "Service Code Capture" activity in Hyperspace to assemble the information needed to support a billing claim.

The table below highlights the difference between billing from within Connect Care (i.e., using Resolute) and using Service Code Capture to submit claims from outside of Connect Care, just like you do now. Contact servicecodecapture@ahs.ca with questions; for NP-specific billing questions, contact Provincial NP Services at advancedpracticenursing@ahs.ca.

Submitting Claims Outside of Connect Care with Service Code Capture (SCC)

Submitting Claims Through Connect Care with Resolute Professional Billing

Available to any prescriber documenting in Connect Care.

Not an option for most prescribers who use Connect Care due to Alberta Health directive. Includes all NPs.

No change to the billing software prescribers or their billers use. No change in who prescribers engage to assist with billing for their services.

The Professional Billing Office (PBO) has full-time billing specialists.

Several Alberta billing software vendors and private billing services have built functionality to support importing of SCC data into their systems.

AHS will send bills to all third-party payers and collect payments.

Payments flow directly to prescribers’ bank accounts.

Any payments billed by AHS are payable to AHS, so there is a delay in payment disbursement.

Prescribers have full control over billing decisions and effort taken to collect payments.

All self-pay patients are billed by AHS and decisions about payment collection are according to AHS Finance policy.
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2023-09-08

Countdown Checklist L7, T-minus 57: Plan Meeting Adjustments

Continuing a list of essential actions for Connect Care Launch 7 prescribers readying for launch November 5, 2023...
  • Adjust Meeting Schedules in your Clinical Area
A prior item encouraged advance planning for clinical service impacts at the time of Connect Care launch. Similar planning is needed to adjust clinical business and other meetings to fit with launch needs.

Many Connect Care launch-related meetings fill the weeks just before and after launch. Some of these are prescriber-focused, including daily meetings to capture emerging issues, assign resources and review remedies. There are lots of opportunities for prescribers to have input.

Given inevitable launch demands, it is recommended that all non-essential other meetings be deferred to protect the week before and at least 3 weeks after the launch date.

This is a good time to look ahead at meeting schedules for October 30–November 30 and identify sessions that could be cancelled or rescheduled.
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2023-09-06

Countdown Checklist L7, T-minus 59: Register for Personalization Training

Continuing a list of essential actions for Connect Care Launch 7 prescribers readying for launch November 5, 2023...
  • Confirm REGISTRATION for PERSONALIZATION
Successful personalization of the Connect Care clinical information system has a big impact on prescriber success at launch. It is very important to take advantage of personalization workshops pre-launch. Among other things, these introduce many tips that make Connect Care use both efficient and enjoyable.

Personalization training begins September 18. Make sure that you are already registered or take advantage of self-registration via MyLearningLink (supported on a first-come-first-scheduled basis).

Personalization objectives, prerequisites and preparation are all described in the Connect Care Manual.
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2023-09-01

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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Countdown Checklist L7, T-minus 64: Plan Workload Adjustments

Continuing a list of essential actions for Connect Care Launch 7 prescribers readying for launch November 5, 2023...
  • Understand Prescriber Workload Adjustments for your Area
It is not a given, or often possible, that clinical service levels decrease at Connect Care launch. A number of strategies can maximize prescriber productivity, clinical service resilience and capacity for change.

Be sure to ask your clinical leaders (division, department, section, specialty, clinic, ward, NP manager, etc.) about plans to adjust prescriber availability and support in your area at launch. Discuss and confirm understandings at planning meetings.

Also anticipate your role in making things better for your team. Usually your best contribution is to take training seriously, especially personalization training, and to take the time to practice in the system after training. This decreases the likelihood that you will burden colleagues or slow clinical service around the time of launch.

See our Byte about workload planning for more information.
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