The West Deployment Team at the eHealth Centre of Excellence is thrilled to share that in November of 2023, a major milestone was hit -- 1 million Referrals processed in the West Region!

Beginning in 2016 in Waterloo Wellington, the eHealth Centre of Excellence began deploying eReferral as a pilot, and the team has been diligently helping clinicians transition to this phenomenal digital health tool ever since. 

As part of the Ontario eServices Program, the eCE West Deployment Team and the eReferral deployment teams from across the province are improving the healthcare experience for both clinicians and patients. 

More and more, patients feel they are having to take on additional responsibility in managing their care. Studies have revealed that the burden of navigating the system can lead to care delays and even deter patients from seeking necessary care.

Through qualitative interviews with 5 patients, a prevalent theme emerged, highlighting how eReferral has alleviated the burden of treatment for patients. These findings are critical as they establish a link between the implementation of eReferral and the alleviation of patient burdens in healthcare management.

Please have a look at this interesting case study on our eCE website! 

As of January 26, 2024, the Midwives Access to eConsult Advice (MACA) Project will enable access for Midwives in Ontario to receive specialist advice for patient care utilizing the Ontario eConsult program on the OTNhub. The aim of this project, in alignment with best practice guidelines, is to improve accessibility and assess acceptability and feasibility, while evaluating the impact on each of the five domains of the quintuple aim for healthcare improvement.

This initiative is a partnership between the Ontario eConsult Service and the Association of Ontario Midwives.

For more information, please reach out to the Ontario eConsult Centre of Excellence at eConsultCOE@toh.ca. 

Some physicians have recently experienced the Protocol Note section not appearing automatically when they open an eReferral. This was caused by a recent enhancement to user accounts in Ocean, where the previous ‘Clinician Type’ and ‘Role’ fields in user accounts were combined into a new single field called ‘User Role’. 

For physicians experiencing the issue with the Protocol Note no longer opening automatically, this can be remedied by updating their ‘User Role’ in their Ocean accounts. The individual user must do these steps in their own account. 

These few steps should resolve this issue, however, please reach out to the Change Management Specialist that supports your site, or email eReferral@ehealthce.ca if you require assistance.

In case you missed it in our last newsletter, the eHealth Centre of Excellence proudly announced the launch of eCE Shield, a national web-based cybersecurity and privacy self-learning program designed for healthcare professionals! eCE Shield provides a curriculum of online courses that can help you and your organization recognize and prevent costly breaches. This interactive program will enhance your organization’s cybersecurity readiness, and protect valuable patient information and other sensitive data. 

• Certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada for 7.5 Mainpro+ Credits
• Available in both English and French
• Tailor-made self-learning modules with quizzes to test the learner’s knowledge
• Continuous education through monthly phishing challenges, ensuring that healthcare professionals are consistently honing their skills in the application of cybersecurity best practices



Please email shield@ehealthce.ca for more information. 

Discover newly added services and programs live on Ocean eReferral and new Specialists who have been onboarded to respond to eConsults! 

• Alzheimer Society of Waterloo Wellington
• Ancaster Vasectomy Clinic
• Anwist Diagnostic Inc. (Windsor)
• Belle River Diagnostic Imaging
• Best Care (Huron and Perth Counties)
• Cambridge Memorial Hospital – Cardiorespiratory Program
• Canadian Red Cross LEGHO Hospital-to-Home Program – Chatham-Kent Branch (Chatham)
• Dr. Alison Salhani – Obstetrics & Gynecology (Kitchener)
• Dr. Andrew Stewart – Obstetrics & Gynecology (Kitchener)
• Dr. Auzair Tak – Obstetrics & Gynecological Care (Kitchener)
• Dr. Carolyn Hutzal – Pediatrics (Kitchener)
• Dr. Chanseok Rhee – Orthopedics (Waterloo)
• Dr. Christine De Jong – Obstetrics & Gynecology (Burlington)
• Dr. Ian Phillips – General Surgery (Guelph)
• Dr. Matthew Newman – Otolaryngology (Guelph)
• Dr. Mohammed Howidi – Pediatrics (Windsor)
• Dr. Praveen Saroey – Pediatrics (Kitchener)
• Freeport EMG (Kitchener)
• Freeport Pain Management Centre (Kitchener)
• Good Health CPS – Guelph Cardiac Clinic (Guelph)
• Guelph Family Health Team – Postpartum Mood Disorder Support Program
• Hamilton Ultrasound Diagnostic Services (HUDS) (Hamilton)
• Kidwell Pediatrics (Waterloo)
• Kintec Footwear and Orthotics (Waterloo)
• K-W Lipid Optimization Clinic (KW CardioPulmonary Services) (Waterloo)
• Integrated Care Team (ICT) for Older Adults (Kitchener)
• Lambton Elderly Outreach (Wyoming)
• March of Dimes - Chatham
• March of Dimes - Sarnia
• Oxford Allergy Clinic (London)
• Sarnia Lambton Heart Failure Clinic (North Lambton CHC) (Sarnia)
• Specialized Ultrasound in Gynecology & Obstetrics (SUGO) (Hamilton)
• St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital – Elgin Geriatric Services
• St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital – Outpatient Mental Health Services
• The Community Navigation Team (Waterloo)
• Windsor Essex CHC – Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (Windsor) 

• Dr. Rozita Borici-Mazi – Clinical Immunology and Allergy (SW)
• Dr. Collin Terpstra – Clinical Immunology and Allergy (WW)
• Dr. Daniela Ardelean – Pediatrics, Rheumatology (SW)
• Dr. Donald Cole – Community Medicine, Occupational Medicine (SW)
• Dr. Eric To – Hematology (SW)
• Dr. Mark Goldszmidt – Internal Medicine (SW)
• Dr. Nikhil Chopra – Rheumatology (SW)
• Dr. Nnaemeka Ukwuoma – Internal Medicine (SW)
• Dr. Peter Cybulski – Urology (WW)
• Dr. Stephanie Hammond – Pediatric Neurology (SW)

New Regional BASE Group:

• South West Regional Pediatrics - Neurology eConsult Group