2024-11-29

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. 

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.

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:

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:

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:

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. 

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:

2024-11-15

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. 

2024-11-08

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. 

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:

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.

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.

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).

2024-11-01

Countdown Checklist L9: Drop In

Continuing a list of essential actions for Connect Care Launch 9 prescribers readying for launch November 2, 2024...
  • Drop In
This ends our countdown checklist, with conversion of old to new charts well underway. We hope all goes well Saturday at 05:00 when the new charts become the official record of care!

Of course that's only the start. We'll have a working system but we'll need to grow it, and grow with it, to fulfill its potential.
Informatics specialists, Super Users and physician informatics leads are eager to help. Reach out.

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. 

Countdown Checklist L9, T-minus 0: Share and Learn

Continuing a list of essential actions for Connect Care Launch 9 prescribers readying for launch November 2, 2024...
  • Share and Learn
We are down to the final few hours. Any preparations that could be, have been. Now we must turn to one another in a spirit of collaboration.

Super Users are widely distributed. Look for yellow and orange lanyards (prescriber supports; pink caps in the OR). Don't struggle. Ask for help.
  • Late breaking tips and gap-fillers will be added to the Connect Care Manual. System/workflow updates and training addendums to be aware of around launch are also flagged on the Launch 9 Updates page of the Manual.
  • The Connect Care Prescriber Updates will focus on pointers to new material, key developments, tips, tricks and FAQs. Use the buttons at the top, especially Tips, FAQ and Support.
  • Ask a Super User or call the IT Service Desk with urgent needs: 1-877-311-4300.
  • Request non-urgent (not addressed by peers and Super Users) needs, ideas and suggestions at help.connect-care.ca.
  • Use the Virtual Drop-in Centre (virtualhelp.connect-care.ca).
Super Users use social media to rapidly share learnings so they can be widely applied... ask them for help. They can also way-find when they are unable to provide immediate help themselves.