HAPPY NEW [FISCAL] YEAR! As we enter our new fiscal year, we are excited for all that lies ahead. While we’re continuing to advance our digital health work with our many valuable partners, there are significant program and solution enhancements our team is spearheading this upcoming year. Read on to see the latest from the HITS eHealth Office about Ontario Health West's provider-facing viewer (ClinicalConnect) and patient portal (ConnectMyHealth), as well as developments with the provincial eConsult platform. Be sure to also watch for our next update where we hope to share even more great progress. As always, if you have questions about our newsletter or want more information about us or our services, please email info@HITSeHealth.ca, call 905-577-8270, or visit us online at https://HITSeHealth.ca.
|
|
Helping Healthcare Providers Deliver Care More Efficiently |
|
Latest Portal Updates:
-
Genetics, Malignant Hematology-Flow and Bone Marrow Reports from the Hamilton Regional Laboratory Medicine Program (HRLMP), generated from June 4, 2022 onwards, are now available to all authorized ClinicalConnect users in PDF format in the Pathology & Genetics Module. This adds to Pathology Reports from HRLMP (generated from June 4, 2022 onwards) that were added to ClinicalConnect on January 18, 2024 under the HHSC "Source".
-
Scanned and archived health records from St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital and Listowel Wingham Hospital Alliance were integrated with ClinicalConnect's Health Records module on March 13, 2024.
-
Blood Bank and Pathology results from Norfolk General Hospital are now being sent to the Ontario Laboratories Information System (OLIS), via ClinicalConnect.
ClinicalConnect Participant Organizations - mark your calendars! Semi-annual attestations start on May 1, 2024! Attestations are a routine, and very important, process to ensure access to ClinicalConnect is appropriately authorized, and that the individuals appointed to various roles required by Participant Organizations remain correct. Those required to perform attestations will receive an email prompt starting on May 1 - please attend to your attestations using the Access Governance System as soon as possible!
Attestation-Related Reminders!
-
You will be required to enter a "Passcode" in addition to your password - your passcode is available to you on your authenticator app on your mobile device (likely Google Authenticator), or you may have originally chosen to use a Google Chrome “Extension” on your computer, denoted by a puzzle piece in top right corner of Google Chrome internet browser - that Extension could be the source of your passcode.
-
When accessing AGS, if you entered your username, password and passcode but still can't access the system, it's possible your password expired. Go to the Self-Service Password Manager site at https://pm.clinicalconnect.ca, log in on the left side of the screen with your expired password, and update it to a new one. Then re-attempt your log-in to AGS to complete your attestations.
If you are reading this newsletter and are concerned about being prepared to log into AGS when required for attestations, email support@clinicalconnect.ca with your specific questions and the ClinicalConnect Program Office would be pleased to assist.
|
|
Helping Patients Empower
Their Health Journey
|
|
In this edition of Connections, we chose to feature our work with the 14 Ontario Health Teams in Ontario Health West Region who partner with us to help create awareness of ConnectMyHealth amongst patients!
On a daily basis, these OHTs are working hard to ensure you know about ConnectMyHealth and the benefits it offers. Using a wide range of marketing channels including radio, TV, social media, in-person events and promotion through OHT member organizations, these groups are helping to accelerate both the adoption and use of the patient portal. In addition to these marketing activities, OHTs also participate on two Working Groups operated by the HITS eHealth Office, which are in place to support the management of tasks related to the implementation, technical evolution and deployment of ConnectMyHealth. With one year now successfully under our belt in this deployment partnership, we look forward to OHTs' ongoing contributions and seeing the number of patients in this region benefitting from online access to their health records continue to grow!
Latest Updates:
-
Through the work of our OHT partners, ConnectMyHealth has been featured by several media outlets - you are welcome to check out the News page of our information website to hear what the media, and other supporters, are saying about the portal and how you can benefit!
-
Enhancements to ConnectMyHealth's navigation are expected soon, which will further improve the use of the portal on both desktop and mobile devices.
-
As a reminder to ConnectMyHealth users, as a security measure, accounts that have not been signed into in more than one year will be automatically disabled. Should you encounter this due to non-use but still wish to retain your account, just email the ConnectMyHealth Program Office for assistance!
|
|
Improving Access to
Specialist Advice
|
|
The HITS eHealth Office continues to support the deployment of eConsult in the HNHB region. eConsult enables physicians and nurse practitioners to ask clinical questions to a specialist electronically and receive a response within days, often eliminating the need for an in-person patient visit. In Ontario, there are 4,000+ active primary care providers and 1,000+ active specialists using eConsult today! Interested in learning more about eConsult? Complete the intake form today!
Latest Updates:
In the previous issue, we shared the upcoming ability for midwives to send eConsults and receive specialist advice. The wait is over - midwives can now access eConsult. Sign up today!
Within HNHB, Primary Care Providers continue to see a response time of less than 1 day (0.8 days), with 96% of cases being resolved within 7 days or less – ensuring that you will have timely access to specialist advice.
For those new to eConsult, or those looking for a refresher, we’d suggest watching this Lunch and Learn session. It provides a demo, highlights a review of best practices and exploration of available resources.
As always, our team is here to support you! If you or your staff would like a refresher on submitting an eConsult or navigating the tool, please contact us at: eConsult@HITSeHealth.ca.
|
|
Tips & Tricks: It's As Easy as 1-2-3! |
|
Did you know? Using ClinicalConnect and eConsult together works well to optimize patient care. Providers, armed with comprehensive patient records from ClinicalConnect, can initiate detailed eConsults to seek specialist advice. This reduces the risk of incomplete or fragmented information and supports a unified approach to patient care. Timely access to specialist insights enables providers to make informed decisions faster, leading to improved patient care and outcomes. Click here to learn more.
|
|
Name: Thrishana (Abi) Singh
Role: eHealth Services Coordinator
Thrishana, who goes by Abi, joined the team in the role of eHealth Services Coordinator in 2021. Since then, she’s supported our office’s digital health operations in a number of different ways! Abi works with healthcare organizations (e.g. community pharmacies, group practices) and sole practitioners to complete the application requirements to be approved, and provides ‘Train the Trainer’ sessions to support their use of ClinicalConnect as part of their delivery of care to patients. In addition, she is part of our office’s team that deploys eConsult to provide onboarding and end-user support to primary care providers and specialists within the HNHB region. She is also on our ConnectMyHealth operations team, fulfilling account registration requests from patients across the Ontario Health West Region. Abi enjoys working in the ever-evolving digital health space because she witnesses the transformative impact that the various digital health tools she supports have on healthcare, ultimately helping to improve patient care outcomes.
Outside of work, Abi immerses herself in a world of creativity, actively pursuing her passion for graphic design and engaging in various creative activities. She is an avid reader and values quality time spent with loved ones!
|
|
The views expressed are those of the HITS eHealth Office at Hamilton Health Sciences and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of Ontario or any of its personnel or entities, including Ontario Health. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
