A big day for the Edmonton Zone! Notices have been emailed to all anticipated Wave 1 physician users. These provide information about the physician training program, gather information about scheduling preferences and explain how registration occurs.
Medical Informatics Leads may expect questions from colleagues. A good time to brush-up about the Connect Care training strategy, content and delivery for physicians.
Physician advocates can refresh understanding by skimming any of the following resources (shortest listed first; all recently updated). Better still, view the short (5 minute) physician training orientation interactive online video (5 minutes).
2019-05-29
2019-05-28
Has the Wave 1 Launch Date Changed?
Physician informaticians may hear rumours of a Wave 1 Launch Date change. It is important to be clear that the intended early November launch in the Edmonton Zone remains firm.
We have been grappling with the fact that our launch weekend also happens to be when all clocks fall backwards one hour in the annual shift to Daylight Savings Time. To activate order-entry, documentation and other functions on the originally intended November 2 would force us to immediately contend with the complexities of a time change protocol in the early hours of Sunday November 3.
Many mitigations have been considered and a launch hour of 0400 on November 3 (after the time shift) is currently considered our best option.
We have been grappling with the fact that our launch weekend also happens to be when all clocks fall backwards one hour in the annual shift to Daylight Savings Time. To activate order-entry, documentation and other functions on the originally intended November 2 would force us to immediately contend with the complexities of a time change protocol in the early hours of Sunday November 3.
Many mitigations have been considered and a launch hour of 0400 on November 3 (after the time shift) is currently considered our best option.
2019-05-22
Orders in Epic-Speak
The Connect Care clinical information system (CIS) anticipates 100% prescriber order-entry, giving opportunity to speed what is typically a cumbersome process while also helping clinicians avoid error, improve utilization and contribute to our understanding of how health care interventions affect outcomes. Indeed, much of the value-case for a CIS pivots on effective clinical decision support (CDS). And the most present and prevalent CDS relates to order-entry.
Epic provides diverse order-related tools, labelled in ways that reflect software modules, branding and history. Those helping to review and validate clinical content built with these tools may not find developer terms intuitive. Also, it is important to recognize when a particular order tool is not the best fit to the clinical problem meriting decision support.
A new Connect Care "Key Concepts" summary focuses on order-related tools:
Epic provides diverse order-related tools, labelled in ways that reflect software modules, branding and history. Those helping to review and validate clinical content built with these tools may not find developer terms intuitive. Also, it is important to recognize when a particular order tool is not the best fit to the clinical problem meriting decision support.
A new Connect Care "Key Concepts" summary focuses on order-related tools:
2019-05-16
Clinical Content Validation - Next Big Push
Validation is about how clinical experts review, correct and approve clinical information system (CIS) content (documentation, decision and inquiry support) to ensure that it serves the intended purpose, is free of significant safety risks, and is compatible with acceptable workflows.
Although content validation applies to documentation (e.g., note templates, handover reports, etc.) and inquiry (e.g., dashboards, reporting workbench templates, etc.), formal validation processes focus on complex clinical decision supports; especially Order Sets, Order Panels, SmartSets, Therapy Plans, Express Lanes and Protocols. All validation is informed by Connect Care principles and is organized for meaningful clinical input.
Clinical content validation begins when content is built and ready for review. Many validation activities started in early 2019. However, the bulk of complex clinical decision supports validation occurs in May, June and July of 2019. Outpatient orders (SmartSets) must be validated by end of June, while some inpatient Order Set validation will continue through the end of August 2019. The content most needed for training curricula is prioritized for earlier validation.
Area Councils, medical informatics leads, clinical knowledge leads and clinical informatics leads, plus a number of other stakeholders, are oriented to validation processes; allowing us to ramp-up and address this next readiness challenge over the next few months.
Although content validation applies to documentation (e.g., note templates, handover reports, etc.) and inquiry (e.g., dashboards, reporting workbench templates, etc.), formal validation processes focus on complex clinical decision supports; especially Order Sets, Order Panels, SmartSets, Therapy Plans, Express Lanes and Protocols. All validation is informed by Connect Care principles and is organized for meaningful clinical input.
Clinical content validation begins when content is built and ready for review. Many validation activities started in early 2019. However, the bulk of complex clinical decision supports validation occurs in May, June and July of 2019. Outpatient orders (SmartSets) must be validated by end of June, while some inpatient Order Set validation will continue through the end of August 2019. The content most needed for training curricula is prioritized for earlier validation.
Area Councils, medical informatics leads, clinical knowledge leads and clinical informatics leads, plus a number of other stakeholders, are oriented to validation processes; allowing us to ramp-up and address this next readiness challenge over the next few months.
2019-05-10
Non-Medical Device Workflows
The Connect Care communications team has produced a nice video illustrating how clinicians can interact with non-medical devices (computers, mobility, etc.) in inpatient environments.
2019-05-09
Dragon Medical One and Hyperspace
As discussed at the April provincial medical informatics lead (MIL) retreat, we are very happy to have begun testing "Dragon Medical One" (DMO, Nuance's voice recognition and digital transcription solution for the cloud) within the Connect Care implementation of Epic Systems software.
Please get in touch with cmio@ahs.ca if you are a MIL and would like to participate in the testing. We have applied to free up as many preview licenses as possible for this group. A tip sheet is in the works to help you get started and an intake email for problem reports is coming soon.
DMO works in conjunction with Hyperspace to facilitate easy voice recognition for dictation, user interface navigation, activity commands and text automations. All require some user-investment in recording personal preferences and text-hotkey-command sequences.
A different Nuance product brings additional functionality to the Haiku mobile environment. "Epic Voice Assistant" works a lot like Siri (Apple devices) or Alexa (Android devices). The user can ask questions, such as "who is my next patient" and the assistant will line up both an answer and the best mobile activity for taking next steps.
For more information:
Please get in touch with cmio@ahs.ca if you are a MIL and would like to participate in the testing. We have applied to free up as many preview licenses as possible for this group. A tip sheet is in the works to help you get started and an intake email for problem reports is coming soon.
DMO works in conjunction with Hyperspace to facilitate easy voice recognition for dictation, user interface navigation, activity commands and text automations. All require some user-investment in recording personal preferences and text-hotkey-command sequences.
A different Nuance product brings additional functionality to the Haiku mobile environment. "Epic Voice Assistant" works a lot like Siri (Apple devices) or Alexa (Android devices). The user can ask questions, such as "who is my next patient" and the assistant will line up both an answer and the best mobile activity for taking next steps.
For more information:
2019-05-01
Physician Area Trainer - A Great Opportunity
We've previously posted about Physician Area Trainer recruitment, a great opportunity for interested clinicians to benefit from exceptional clinical information system orientation and change management coaching. Stipend-supported Area Trainers can supplement their usual clinical activities, play a pivotal role at Connect Care launch and positively impact health care in Alberta.
In addition to a posting and role description, linked below is an early guide for clinicians potentially interested in the Area Trainer role. The guide clarifies how Area Trainers are themselves trained. The support stipend is explained. Overall time expectations are outlined for before, during and after launch.
In addition to a posting and role description, linked below is an early guide for clinicians potentially interested in the Area Trainer role. The guide clarifies how Area Trainers are themselves trained. The support stipend is explained. Overall time expectations are outlined for before, during and after launch.
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