Email Subscription Service Ending for Connect Care Clinician Blogs

Effective end of this month (December 31, 2024), we will be discontinuing our current email subscription service for all our Connect Care clinician blog channels. At this time, we do not have an alternate email subscription service available, but will continue to look for an appropriate service that meets our readers' needs. 

In the meantime, the blog channels do each support “subscribing” to their RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed, for those who use newsfeed readers - see the tip sheet for more information. For others, perhaps consider bookmarking the main Bytes channel (bytes.connect-care.ca) and checking in on Fridays and the end of each month. Digests of new blog posts across all Connect Care clinician blog channels are published most Fridays on Bytes under the title "On Other Channels". Also, our monthly prescriber newsletter, Between the Charts (news.connect-care.ca), highlights key blog posts from the previous month; issues are typically published in the last week of each month, and a notice is published on Bytes as soon as the next issue is available. Both of these updates are gathered under the same tag, and so can be directly bookmarked via ahs-cis.ca/cmioupdates.

• Tip: Using Connect Care Blogs
• Blog Updates: ahs-cis.ca/cmioupdates 

Resources for Super Users and Area Trainers on Launch 9 Support Issues

To access support information on common issues arising post-launch, there are two easy options:

Get MS Teams, join "Launch 9 Support"

• For Connect Care Launch 9, the CMIO will be using Microsoft Teams as a platform to support communication among Trainers, Super Users, resident Super Users, and CMIO staff. A comprehensive "Launch 9 Support Team" has been created and has been populated with Channels for each specialty training track.
• Guide: How to Set Up MS Teams on an External Device
• To use MS Teams for launch support, navigate to Launch 9 Support - MS Teams. 
• Once there, you can post a question, say hello, or respond to an existing discussion.
• For mobile access, download the MS Teams app from your app store. 
• Tip: Those using personal computers/laptops (including MacOS) will find the MS Teams web app is the preferred option, as the desktop application may not work. It is easiest to access the web app through teams.microsoft.com, or through AHS Outlook (use the Teams Call button on the top task bar, decline when it asks you to open Microsoft Teams, and select the “Continue on this Browser” option).
• Note: Access to AHS Teams, like Outlook and the suite of Office 365 apps, requires two-factor authentication using the MS Authenticator app. More information can be found at: Multi-Factor Authentication User Guide.

Bookmark the Connect Care "Support" and "Bytes" blog channels

• Support channel has:
• Hot topics – a list of common issues that have been flagged (e.g., dose ranges, printer mapping), posted daily for the 1st week after launch and then weekly for the remainder of launch support.
• These posts include links to relevant support information (e.g., Connect Care Manual page, tip sheet, blog post).
• Alerts on new/fixed/improved Connect Care functions (e.g., new SmartText).
• Bytes channel has general update posts for Connect Care end users (e.g., downtime notices, launch support changes).
• For further support, also bookmark the Tips and FAQ channels:
• Tips channel has daily postings, starting with simple and progressing to more advanced suggestions about how to get more from, and enjoy, Connect Care use (e.g., series on Problem List management).
• FAQ channel records issues arising, with suggested workflows, from prescriber use of Connect Care.

Handout Reminder for Launch 9 Supports

For those helping prescribers joining Connect Care for Launch 9, a business card format (easy to reprint) can be an easy handout. 

• Card: Launch 9 CMIO Supports [updated Dec 3]

Epic's Webinar Newsletter

Are you interested in keeping up to date with the free webinars that Epic offers? 

Every couple of weeks or so, Epic emails subscribers a new issue of "The Webinar Enthusiast", which includes descriptions and direct registration links for each upcoming webinar. Epic's webinars are all free for AHS employees to attend and, for those who cannot attend, recordings are posted afterwards at the webinar links. 

If you would like to subscribe to Epic's webinar newsletter, click here to sign up. An archive of past issues is also available here.

DataCamp: Data Literacy Learning Platform

At all levels of AHS, people use data, expertise, and evidence to inform decisions and improve outcomes for patients, populations, and the health system. Data and Analytics (DnA) is excited to offer an easy to use, self-directed, low pressure, data literacy learning platform (DataCamp) to help everyday users feel comfortable working with, accessing, understanding, and communicating data. 

DataCamp makes it easy for everyone to learn new skills specific to their role – gain confidence in interpreting data, join tables in SQL, or automate processes using Python. From data concepts to coding, all training is interactive and simple to start using. There is no installation as all learning takes place in your browser, where you will have the opportunity to follow expert-led courses, complete bite-sized exercises, and receive real-time feedback. DataCamp will help us as we adopt new cloud technologies and refresh existing skills (Snowflake, Python, SQL, Tableau, Alteryx, R, and more). This online platform is free and is intended for frontline managers, leaders and physicians who use data on a daily basis; it is now available, through to the end of October 2024.

To register for DataCamp, visit this invitation link and use your full email address (e.g., do not abbreviate @albertahealthservices to @ahs.ca).

For the latest announcements and to get support, join the MS teams AHS DataCamp Community channel.

Upcoming Event: Connect Care - Shaping the future of healthcare with data-driven research

The O’Brien Institute (with the Cumming School of Medicine, AHS, and Centre for Health Informatics) is hosting a free event on using Connect Care data that Connect Care MILs, Super Users, Core Leads, CIs, Trainers, and Builders in the Calgary area may be interested in. 

• Title: Connect Care: Shaping the future of healthcare with data-driven research
• Date: June 5, 2024: 12:45-17:00
• Location: Theatre One, Health Sciences Centre (Calgary)
• Intended audience: Researchers, students and trainees who are interested in shaping the future of healthcare through the utilization of Connect Care data.

For more information and to register, see the event page on the University of Calgary website.

• Event: Connect Care - Shaping the future of healthcare with data-driven research 

Synopsis Updates and Timeline Framework

A number of enhancements are coming to clinical information review tools in Connect Care, including results review, synopsis views and timeline views. Indeed, we've already seen a number of user interface changes to results review.

Timeline-keyed tools are invaluable to getting the "big picture" of a patient's health care journey. We have not promoted these in training yet, but anticipate doing so. Accordingly, we are implementing a change freeze on synopsis views until after the Fall 2023 upgrade is implemented.

An Epic webinar nicely explains underlying design considerations for what's coming:

• Webinar: Synopsis Views and the Timeline Framework
• Webinar: Flowsheet Views and the Timeline Framework

AHS Preferred SmartLink Catalogue

The Connect Care Documentation Quality Improvement (DQI) initiative has worked to design and promote use of provincially standardized documentation templates (e.g., discharge summary). Along the way, the "Smart" building blocks (e.g., SmartLinks) used to assemble the templates have been carefully reviewed to ensure that Alberta Health Services style, format, safety and other norms are complied with. 

A helpful byproduct for designers, builders, analysts and super users -- as well as Connect Care users who build SmartPhrase personalizations -- is a curated catalogue of AHS approved and preferred SmartTools. This is maintained in the Builder Handbook and is linked from the Clinician Manual and from prescriber learning home dashboards.

• Manual: SmartTools

Builders - New Style and Content Resources for Patient Lists

Patient List Style Guide and Catalogue

The Connect Care clinical information system (CIS) includes powerful tools for accessing, personalizing, building and sharing patient lists. Indeed, lists are the gateway to inpatient care.

User efforts to set up personal "My Lists" are frustrated when there are large numbers of inconsistently named, duplicative, and malfunctioning list columns to choose from. A new patient lists working group is selecting and optimizing a core set of AHS approved and recommended columns, together with My List templates that users can copy to initiate list configurations suited to specific use cases.

Builders working with lists should be aware of this work and heed emerging guides and preferred components.

• Manual: Patient Lists
• Crib-Sheet: Personal Patient Lists
• Handbook: Patient Lists
• Handbook: Patient Lists Style Guide
• Handbook: Patient List Columns

Builders - New EAP (Test Orders) Resource

Beaker Procedures (Test Order) Properties Catalogue

Laboratory test (EAP) records are created and maintained by an application group (i.e., Beaker). However, the same records are used by other groups and property settings can differ when the order is used in different tools or contexts. For example, the "questions" associated with a microbiology sample test may be organized in one way when the test presents within a surgical navigator but in a different way when presented through an order composer workflow.

A new resource has been developed to help designers, analysts and builders quickly recognize how test requests are presented in different contexts. This exposes the questions, or meta-data, captured in each context and, hopefully, will facilitate closer alignment.

The interactive order properties catalogue is available via the "Resource Links" pick-list in the Hyperspace title bar. 

• Builder Handbook: Beaker Order Properties
• Catalogue: Beaker Order Properties

Launch 6 Planning - Report Development Scope and Planning

The following message if of importance to Area Councils and Specialty Workgroups participating in clinical system design.

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The Connect Care Business Intelligence - Reporting Support Team is looking to finalize report development scope for Launch 6. To that end, we are reaching out to Area Council Co-Chairs and ACSUs to ensure that we have captured any outstanding Launch 6, launch-critical reporting needs in your areas. Launch-critical reports = reports that are essential for making day-to-day operational decisions at launch and six weeks beyond. 

 

Please be assured that work has been ongoing to gather Launch 6 reporting scope and Operational Leaders have been engaged by the CORe Lead for Business Intelligence (the CORe Lead is Carrie Farnell) regarding Launch 6 reporting needs over the past several months. Please consider whether your area is launching any new departments in Connect Care with Launch 6 and subsequently, whether any new launch critical reports may be required that have not already been identified and brought to the attention of your Clinical Informatics Lead (CIL) representative.

 

If you are aware of any potential missing launch critical reports in your area, please submit a request to your CIL representative, no later than Oct. 14. Solange Pomerleau is the CIL for Medicine Areas (excluding Lumens).

 

In the interests of being proactive for future launches (7-9), please consider the following: 

•       Are there any new departments in your area launching in L7-L9?

•       If yes, consider if the new departments have any launch critical reporting needs

•       Outside of the Area Council forums, the CORe Lead for Business Intelligence will continue to engage Operational Leaders as we progress through the Launches 

 

If you have questions, please contact us at: ConnectCare.SupportTeam.ClinicalInformaticsLeads@albertahealthservices.ca

Builder Alert - Fall Update Change Freeze

Builder Alert - Transparent Lockdown 14-20/10/2022

As part of the Scheduled Downtime on October 20, 2022 there is an Epic Transparent Lockdown process needed to prepare the upgrade for production. This process requires a Production Change Freeze from October 14, 2022 1200 hrs until October 20, 2022 0430 hrs. 

For more information about this change freeze please refer to the Epic Special Updates - Transparent Lockdown document.

Hyperspace - Paradigm Change Coming

Epic has been working on a fundamental change to its workstation user-interface. Indeed, this is already in production for clients already adopting the May 2022 version. Connect Care will catch this update sometime in the next year.

The shift from a Window-based to a Web-based application opens up many more opportunities for innovation and enhancement. 

For now, a short video explains a bit more about why the change is important and some early features that users may notice:

• Epic: Here's Why... Hyperspace Updates

New Database for Area Trainers, Core Trainers, and Super Users

We are transitioning from SharePoint to a database for our Area Trainers (ATs), Core Trainers, and Super Users, where you can easily:

• see what training you have completed,
• sign up to deliver or support training/practice charting/shadow charting sessions,
• review the training and launch sessions you have signed up for, and
• review and validate your hours.

You will no longer use the SharePoint site to validate your hours. All previously validated sessions have been transitioned from SharePoint to the new database. 

To access the database, go to https://cmiotracker.ahs.ca/ and log in using your AHS username and password. For further details, see the tip sheet:

• Tip: CMIO Tracker Database

Seeking Feedback: Connect Care Innovator Toolkit

We are pleased to present a sneak-peek of version 1.0 of the Connect Care Innovator Toolkit (innovators.connect-care.ca). The Innovator Toolkit was developed by the App Orchard Working Group and gathers tips, guides and resources for internal (Alberta Health Services) or external innovators who facilitate the design and development of technologies that can work within or in conjunction with the Connect Care clinical information system (CIS).

We continue to grow the content of this resource and welcome your feedback (e.g., topics to consider, questions, comments). Please have a look and submit your feedback:

• Email: innovation@ahs.ca

Seeking Physician Design Lead – CMIO

Alberta Health Services (AHS) is seeking a passionate leader to fill the role of Physician Design Lead (PDL) – Chief Medical Information Office (CMIO). This is a leadership position that demands excellent communication skills, unwavering credibility among peers and experience with clinical operations. The successful candidate would report to the Chief Medical Information Officer and work closely with Clinical Operations and Information Technology partners. As one of five PDL-CMIOs, accountabilities include clinical leadership, as well as the implementation and optimization of the provincial clinical information system (CIS). 

The PDL-CMIO will be a well-established physician within the province of Alberta who understands the complexities of undertaking transformational change, large-scale system integration and continuous quality improvement and innovation to deliver on a commitment to excellent performance. The successful candidate will be providing medical leadership direction for the provincial CIS design, configuration, deployment, training, adoption and operational usage across the full continuum of care.

The posting closes June 26, 2022. 

For more information and to apply:

• Posting: Doctor Jobs Alberta - Physician Design Lead, CMIO
• Contact: David.Pincock@ahs.ca

Builder Master Class: Interaction without Distraction

On behalf of the Connect Care Builder Program, we would like to invite clinical informaticians who are part of the builder and analyst communities to participate in an upcoming Builder Master Class. Through these builder-lead sessions, we explore tools available to certified Connect Care Physician and Clinician Builders and analysts. 

The March 23, 2022 session will be facilitated online from 1600-1700 by Dr. Rob Hayward. 

The session will illustrate how "EpicACT" links can be used to provide Connect Care users with easy access to needed information without breaking clinical workflows. On-demand information and activities can be integrated into common tasks in order to spare users from having to go elsewhere in the chart or to know how to update infrequently accessed data. 

The emphasis will be on functional flows uniquely enabled by EpicACT links. Resources explaining how to achieve such effects will be introduced. Topics include:

• Examples of interactive workflows
• Interactive orders
• Interactive documentation
• Interactive sidebars
• EpicACT syntax
• EpicACT categories
• Using EpicACT specifications without links
• Interactive link resources

Connect Care builders and analysts are welcome March 23, 2022, 1600. The session recording and resources can be found at:

• Demo: Builder Masterclass - Interaction without Distraction
• Handbook: Links
• Handbook: EpicACT Link Types
• Handbook: Common Linkable Activities
• Handbook: EpicACT Link Library

All Builder Bulletin - JIRA unavailable Sunday March 6, 2022, 18:00-22:00

All-builder-bulletins share information about emerging issues that can affect build activities and build environments.

JIRA Planned Downtime  

The JIRA Production Environment: Planned outage for project consolidation Sunday March 6, 2022 from 18:00 to 22:00. 

Check the builder handbook (builders.connect-care.ca) for updates. This post updates when build environment function is restored.

All Builder Bulletin

All-builder-bulletins share information about emerging issues that can affect build activities and build environments.

SUP Environment Outage  

The SUP Connect Care environment is: back up

Check the builder handbook (builders.connect-care.ca) for updates. This post updates when build environment function is restored.

Seeking Senior Advisor - Senior Trainer, CMIO

Alberta Health Services (AHS) is seeking a Connect Care champion with extensive clinical or health system experience to fill the role of Senior Advisor - Senior Trainer, CMIO (Chief Medical Information Office). This is a position that facilitates the learning required during preparation and implementation of Connect Care. The successful candidate must become certified in Epic and maintain certification. They must also collaborate with the office of the CMIO on the following: develop all learning materials; determine specialized and role-based/generic learning requirements; create certification or assessment programs; implement an overall learning schedule for each user level; and identify ongoing learning after go-live. 

The Senior Advisor - Senior Trainer will have extensive experience in clinical roles in the provision of healthcare, or a strong working knowledge and intimate understanding of healthcare delivery. Travel within Alberta and to the United States is required. 

This posting closes March 7, 2022.

For more information and to apply:

• Posting: Senior Advisor - Senior Trainer, CMIO
• Contact: David.Pincock@ahs.ca