New Cirrhosis Best Practice Advisories

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
  • Rifaximin BPAs
As of March 12, 2024, two new cirrhosis-related Best Practice Advisories (BPAs) have been implemented in Connect Care. Readmission to hospital for patients with cirrhosis is common and, with the added comorbidity of hepatic encephalopathy, the patient’s likelihood of requiring readmission increases. To reduce the risk of readmissions for hospitalized patients taking lactulose for hepatic encephalopathy, the new BPAs suggest ordering/continuing rifaximin with the second and subsequent episodes of hepatic encephalopathy or with lactulose intolerance. 
  • Rifaximin BPA - Upon Signing Lactulose Order: This interruptive BPA will fire for admitted patients with an active problem or encounter diagnosis of cirrhosis and/or hepatic encephalopathy, if the prescriber is signing an order for Lactulose and Rifaximin has not been ordered.
  • Rifaximin BPA - Inpatient Discharge BPA Section: This non-interruptive BPA will fire for admitted patients being discharged with an active problem or encounter diagnosis of cirrhosis and/or hepatic encephalopathy, if the patient has an active order for Rifaximin. This BPA will continue to display until acknowledged. 

Support Blog - Maintenance Complete

Many thanks for your patience while maintenance of this blog channel was performed. All posts have now been restored. 

You will notice that Connect Care screenshots are now behind an icon. Whenever you see the below camera icon in other blog posts on this channel (or any of our other blog channels), this indicates that there is an accompanying screenshot. When you click on the icon, it will take you to an Insite page with the relevant screenshot.

RAAPID Documentation Functionality Updated

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
  • RAAPID Documentation - Sidebar or Floating Window
As of March 8, 2024, two new viewing options will be available for the "RAAPID Documentation" activity, allowing prescribers to create a RAAPID tele-consult note while reviewing a patient's chart in the middle of the screen.

While in the RAAPID Documentation activity, clicking on the window icon in the top right will bring up a dropdown menu of two options, "Move to Sidebar" and "Move to Floating Window" (click on the below camera icon to see a screenshot). When one of these are selected, that preference will be retained for future sessions. If neither of these options are selected, the RAAPID tele-consult note will stay in the center of the screen. 

ASAP Users - Handoff Activity Now in Dispo Tab

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
  • ASAP Users - Handoff Activity Now in "Dispo" Tab
With the upgrade to Hyperdrive, previous personalization by ASAP module users (ED and rural prescribers) of pinning the Handoff activity to the top of the patient chart has been lost. As a workaround, starting on February 29, 2024, when a patient's chart is opened, a "Write Handoff" option can be found in the "Dispo" toolbar menu. 

New Drug-Disease Medication Interaction Warnings

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
  • New Drug-Disease Medication Interaction Warnings
As of February 13, 2024, "Drug-Disease" medication interaction warnings with a severity level of "Contraindication" will display to prescribers at order entry, when applicable. 
  • Drug-Disease warnings will fire for the disease documented in the encounter diagnosis and any active problem on the Problem List. The system will look back 30 days for encounter diagnoses.
  • Drug-Disease warnings with a Contraindication severity level cannot be filtered by users (i.e., users will not have an option to select “Don’t Show This Warning Again”, either for individual patients or for a time period).
  • Drug-Disease warnings with a Contraindication severity level cannot be suppressed in order sets.
  • Drug-Disease warnings with a Contraindication severity level will also fire when a new problem is added to the Problem List, if applicable.
For the workflow, including screenshots, see the tip sheet.

Updates to Surgery Postprocedure Analgesics

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
  • Updates to Surgery Postprocedure Analgesics
Since December 2023, the evidence-based "Standard Analgesic Adult" panel has been available to order using browse or the facility list. As of February 14, 2024, certain ERAS Postprocedure order sets will change to incorporate the Standard Analgesic Adult panel in place of the current "Analgesics/Antipyretics" section. "Naloxone" and "Adjuvant" sections will also be added, where appropriate. This change will affect personalizations applied to the Analgesics/Antipyretics section in the affected order sets.
Over time, other surgery order sets will change to incorporate the new Standard Analgesic Adult panel. Head and Neck surgeons and SMEs were engaged in a provincial working group collaborating on these revisions over the past year, and changes to the ERAS Major Head and Neck Cancer Surgery with Free Flap Reconstruction Adult order set are also expected in the future. A standard analgesics panel for pediatrics is under development. 

Perioperative Insulin Management Order Set Enhancements

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
  • Insulin Order Set and Order Panel Enhancements
A prior post describes Connect Care order sets that promote Basal Bolus Insulin Therapy (BBIT) best practices, and a move away from legacy intravenous insulin orders. Three Order Sets were recommended:
  • "Pre-procedure Management of Patients with Diabetes Mellitus, Adult"
  • "Post-procedure Management of Patients with Diabetes Mellitus, Adult"
  • "Basal Bolus Insulin Therapy (BBIT), Adult"
These include all related interventions (e.g., appropriate glucose testing), express Alberta's clinical practice guidelines respecting subcutaneous and intravenous insulin administrations, and align with national and international clinical practice guidelines and provincial Glycemic Management Policy suite.

It is recognized that there may be some situations in which intravenous, rather than subcutaneous, insulin therapy is clinically indicated. Accordingly, the pre-procedure Order Set has been enhanced to include an optional panel (which can also be used independently) to facilitate safe ordering of intravenous insulin therapy. 

New Task for Repeating Therapeutic Drug Monitoring

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
  • New Task for Repeating Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
As of February 1, 2024, there is a new task for the ordering prescriber when ordering a repeating frequency in lab orders for therapeutic drug monitoring. The enhancement should reduce mis-timed blood collections associated with scheduling challenges after an order is entered.

When ordering a repeating frequency (e.g., M/W/F), the name of the frequency will now include “Prescriber to schedule”, and there will be a new soft stop for the ordering prescriber to either attest to a standard time of 07:00 or change the timing of the lab draw. To help with choosing the timing of the lab draw, the medication administration schedules for medications requiring therapeutic drug monitoring are displayed in the order composer.

There is no change to the prescriber workflow when a single blood collection is requested. However, the name of this frequency is changed from “per medication dosing” to “once – nurse to schedule”.

Provider Same Name Enhancements

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
  • Provider Same Name Enhancements
As of February 1, 2024, a few user-interface enhancements to Connect Care will help clinicians select the correct provider name from lists when two or more names are similar.   
  • In the Provider Finder activity (used in used in Order Entry, Referral Entry, and Care Teams), a new yellow-highlighted “CAUTION: Look Alike Name” warning message will appear under each row with similar names. The person’s specialty is bolded, to make it easier to use as a distinguishing factor. 
  • In the Flashback Lookup activity (used in the Intra-procedure activity for Anesthesia), a new “Duplicate” column will show the “CAUTION” warning message.

More Troubleshooting - PowerMic Mobile on iOS Devices

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
  • PowerMic Mobile update problems on iOS Devices
PowerMic Mobile (PMM) users on iOS devices have reported problems related to update notices on their devices that, when followed, result in PMM connection problems. The following instructions are reported to solve the problem, both ensuring a current version install and configuration with the needed AHS settings.
  1. Find the PMM app on the current iOS device (iPhone or iPad) and tap-hold to reveal a pop-up menu to access the "Remove App" command. Remove the app.


  2. When prompted, make sure to delete the PMM app completely.


  3. Proceed to re-install from the Workspace ONE catalogue (installed when setting up Haiku for iOS) as instructed in the Clinician Manual and its iOS tip sheet for PMM.

        - Manual: Installing PowerMic Mobile
        - Tip: Installing Mobile Apps on iOS Devices

Ensure that "Nuance PowerMic Mobile" is selected as the microphone on the Connect Care session where PMM is launched.

Medication Ordering Supports for Supportive Care Facilities with External Pharmacies

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
  • Medication Orders in Facilities with External Pharmacies
Where a supported living facility (e.g., long-term care, LTC) uses Connect Care as its record of care but an external (community) pharmacy for the provisioning of patient medications, integrated medication management cannot be taken for granted. Accordingly, prescribers must order and discontinue medications as "external orders" that will be fulfilled outside the facility. New medication orders take the form of a prescription, and any medication discontinuations need to be explicitly communicated to the pharmacy. 

An "External Orders - LTC" chart activity supports prescribers when working in facilities with externally contracted pharmacy services. This gathers needed ordering tools for generating and faxing external prescriptions. It also provides reports summarizing all the medications a patient should be taking and communication tools to share information with the relevant pharmacy. Inpatient charts for such facilities now have a "header," appearing when the chart is opened, reminding about and linking to the new medication order navigator.

Outpatient Problem Oriented Charting Supports

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
  • Problem Oriented Charting Supports for Outpatient Visits
Problem Oriented Charting (POC) is an approach to clinical documentation that emphasizes what is new and important in a patient's healthcare experience, keyed to a list of active problems. Clinicians can better track treatments and trends for multiple evolving issues. 

POC was first introduced to Connect Care in support of more effective and efficient documentation by inpatient teams. Many clinicians have used and helped to improve the tools. Those same clinicians have requested access to POC documentation in outpatient encounters (visits, documentation, orders, telehealth, etc.). 

Although POC workflows differ somewhat in outpatient contexts, the basic approach is the same and documentation building blocks are similar. We are pleased to expose those tools, together with standardized summative and progress documentation templates, alongside a new outpatient sidebar index

Training and workflow supports are linked in the Clinician Manual:

Outpatient Sidebar Index for Prescribers

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
  • Sidebar Index for Prescribers now available in Outpatient Encounters
A "Sidebar" is available in opened patient charts. It can be collapsed or expanded, and facilitates quick access to information that can help with charting tasks performed in the main (center) chart area. Previous postings describe an enhanced "index", appearing at the top of inpatient chart sidebars. This supports rapid switching between a set of Sidebar activities of particular help to prescribers.

A similar sidebar index is now available to outpatient encounters (visit, documentation, order, pre-charting and other encounter types). Indexed sidebar activities remain high-value for clinicians, but optimized for common outpatient work and information flows.

The outpatient sidebar index items and functions are explained in the Clinician Manual:

Long-Term Care Medical Assessment Forms Now in Connect Care

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
  • Long-Term Care Medical Assessment Forms Digitized
The Connect Care Clinical Documentation Committee is coordinating the transfer of common paper/PDF forms to digital formats embedded within the clinical information system. Use of these forms can reduce clinician information burdens by avoiding double data entry/re-entry of information already known to Connect Care.

"Medical Assessment Forms" (MAFs) are part of transition planning for many patients. These are now available to inpatient and outpatient encounters as part of a "Letter Forms" (cForms) workflow, where many similar current and future forms can be activated. Sidebar enhancements for inpatient and outpatient charts make it easier to find all such forms. 

Relevant workflows are explained in the Clinician Manual, where a tip sheet and demonstration uses the LTC MAF to illustrate recommended practices:

Trouble-shooting PowerMic Mobile on Android Devices

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
  • PowerMic Mobile not launching on Android Devices
Edit (November 20): While work continues on this issue, an updated app is now available (version 7.0.1.762). If the below workaround was previously successful and the device's settings do not have automatic downloads enabled, there is no need to switch to this updated app; if the workaround had worked but the app is automatically updated, the workaround will no longer work. To upgrade to the new version:
  • Uninstall any instance of PMM first, then download/install the updated app from the Intelligent Hub (Workspace ONE) Catalogue. 
  • Disable Bluetooth before opening and pairing PMM, for a greater chance of successfully connecting (note this step is an interim fix, until a permanent solution is found).
Mobility application (PowerMic Mobile, PMM) users on Android devices continue to have trouble launching an installed PMM, a problem occurring after a recent PMM update, acknowledged by the vendor and awaiting a permanent solution. The following suggested workaround has worked for many affected users. Do not try these steps if PMM is already working on an Android device. For help regarding a similar issue on iOS devices, see the separate post.

If PMM has stopped working on an Android device with prior successful use:
  1. Go to Android Settings and select the "Apps" option.
  2. Within Apps, go to the "Work" folder (icon at bottom of Apps screen).
  3. Find the "PowerMic Mobile" app (will have a lock symbol on the PMM icon).
  4. Tap to open PowerMic Mobile "App Info" screen.
  5. Tap "Force Stop" icon at the bottom of the App Info screen.
  6. Tap "Uninstall" icon at the bottom of the App Info screen.
  7. Restart mobile device (completely turn off and then on again).
  8. Go to the "Personal" folder (icon at bottom of Apps screen) and use the Google Play Store app to find the PMM app and install from the Store (rather than through the Intelligent Hub [Workspace ONE] Catalogue). Do not access the Play Store from the "Work" folder.
  9. From your "Personal" folder, open a mobile web browser, manually type in the PMM configuration URL http://ahs-cis.ca/pmm and tap the "Android" link, choosing to open with "PowerMic Mobile". Do not try to launch the link from a browser in the "Work" folder.
    • If you do not see an "Open With" prompt and you're using Chrome, in your browser, click the 3 vertical dots icon in the top-right of the screen, then "Settings", then "Homepage". In the second option under "Open this page", delete whatever is there and type "about:blank", then click the checkmark button on your mobile keyboard to accept the change. Exit Chrome, then reopen from the "Personal" folder and try step 9 again.
  10. Open the PMM app and login as usual.
If the above does not work on an Android device with PMM re-installed:
  1. Clear stored PMM data from the Android device.
    • From the Home screen, swipe down to display the system tray
    • Tap Settings > Apps
    • Under "Your apps", find and tap "PowerMic Mobile"
    • Tap "Storage > Clear Cache > Clear Data > Delete"
  2. Force reboot the device. 
    • Press and hold the volume down and power buttons simultaneously for 10 seconds or more to force a shutdown
    • Press the Power button again to start up the device
  3. Import the PMM profile via http://ahs-cis.ca/pmm by selecting the "Android" link and choosing to open with "PowerMic Mobile".
Ensure that "Nuance PowerMic Mobile" is selected as the microphone on the Connect Care session where PMM is launched.


Trouble-shooting PowerMic Mobile on iOS Devices

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
  • PowerMic Mobile not launching on iOS Devices
We previously posted a workaround for Mobility application (PowerMic Mobile, PMM) users on Android devices having trouble launching an installed PMM. Users on iOS devices may experience similar issues after the latest PMM app update.  An iOS-specific workaround is provided below. 

Prior to following the below steps, first ensure that your iOS is updated to 17.1, and that Bluetooth is turned off while dictating. If PMM still does not work on your iOS device with prior successful use:
  1. Find the PMM app on the current iOS device (iPhone or iPad) and tap-hold to reveal a pop-up menu to access the "Remove App" command. Remove the app.


  2. Open the iOS App Store, look up "powermic mobile" and download/install the app. This will install PMM outside of the AHS instance of Workspace ONE. PMM does not require the AHS "bubble" and does not store sensitive information on the local device.


  3. Once PMM is installed, launch the PMM configuration link (http://ahs-cis.ca/pmm) via iOS Safari (native Internet browser on iOS devices), look for and tap/select the link for "iOS".


  4. When prompted, accept the "Open in PowerMic Mobile" query.


  5. PowerMic Mobile will open. Accept the microphone access request.


  6. Accept any notices or help messages to arrive at a screen like the following. PMM is ready for logon (with AHS user name used to log on to Connect Care) if the indicated profile is PRD.


  7. Log on to Connect Care on a workstation in the usual fashion, launch the workstation PMM from the Hyperspace menu bar, and make sure that PMM is set to use the "Nuance" microphone. 
  8. Hopefully, the iOS PMM app will be working as it was prior to updates. It may be necessary to turn the mobile device off and on again for the above changes to take hold.
Ensure that "Nuance PowerMic Mobile" is selected as the microphone on the Connect Care session where PMM is launched.


Android 14 OS Users - Unable to Connect to AHSRestrict Wireless Network

Problem: Prescribers using a smartphone with the Android 14 operating system (OS) may be unable to connect to the "AHSRestrict" wireless network in AHS facilities. 

Context: The AHSRestrict wireless network allows mobile (e.g., smartphones, tablets) and portable (e.g., laptops) computing devices to connect to the AHS intranet. The "HealthSpot" wireless network is also available in AHS facilities, providing public access akin to connecting from outside AHS. Both networks can be used to access Connect Care and otherwise stay connected, even in places where cellular signals are weak. 

Some users report difficulties connecting to AHSRestrict when using the latest version of Google’s Android 14 OS. 

Solution: The AHS IT network and mobility teams continue to investigate a feasible solution so that all Android devices are able to join the AHSRestrict wireless network. 

HealthSpot wireless network connections are not affected and so can be used as a short-term alternative until a solution has been confirmed. To report issues with network access, please contact the IT Service Desk & Solution Centre (1-877-311-4300).

Support for Linked Admitting History & Physical Notes

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
  • Linked H&P Notes
An admitting "history and physical" (H&P) document must be filed for all admitted patients. However, a prior (pre-op) history and physical may have been completed in anticipation of the admission, a consult note (normally done in the emergency room) may have all required content or an emergency physician may do the admission and want to use the ED Provider Note as the admitting H&P. 

All of these possibilities are supported with a tool in the Admission Navigator that allows the H&P requirement to be satisfied with a link to a suitable other note. 
Use of a completed and signed ED Provider Note is supported by this workflow starting with Launch 7.


Referral Order Pop-up in Personalized Referral Orders

Personalized referral orders have been impacted by the recent referral order update. If you are using a personalized referral order, you may see a pop-up titled "Change Order Class" or "Change Referred to Department" that asks to replace the order's "Comments" field with SmartText. To stop this pop-up from occurring, please delete and resave the referral order to your preference list. See below for additional details.

  

Context: As previously posted, the updates made to the referral order composer on October 27, 2023 have made the Comments field a hard stop, and the field is now pre-populated with a prompt to remind the prescriber to enter details ("Please describe in detail, the reason for referral or the clinical question you would like answered", with the wildcard ***). As Personal Preference Lists were not changed as part of this update, if Comments field personalizations were created before this update, they will have to be re-created.

The above pop-ups are triggered for users who are using a referral order they had saved to their Personal Preference List prior to the October update, and are making a change either to the order "Class" field (first screenshot above) or to the "Referral To dept" field (second screenshot above). If the "Yes" button in the pop-up is clicked and you had previously personalized the Comments field, that personalized text will be replaced with the new automatic prompt. However, clicking "Yes" will not disable the pop-up, and it will appear each time you change the "Class" or "Referral To dept" field in your saved referral order. 

Solution: The pop-up will go away only if you remove and re-add the order to your Personal Preference List. Before doing so, ensure you record any personalized comments you want to keep first, so you can re-create that personalization in the updated order.

Referral Workflow Updates

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
  • Referral Workflow Updates
As of October 27, 2023, prescribers using referral orders for outpatient (ambulatory) consultation will notice a few changes. There are enhancements to the referral order composer for prescribers, and to the tools specialty services use for referral triage via In Basket. 

Changes to the Referral Order Composer
  • The "Comments" field, where information important for triage and consultation is entered, is now a required field (hard stop). SmartLinks can be used to pull chart information into the comments and SmartPhrases can be used to record frequently used referral indications. 
    • Note: Previously saved Comments field personalizations will need to be re-entered and re-saved after October 27, 2023. 
    • Following this update, if you are using a personalized referral order, you may see a pop-up. See this blog post for more details on how to manage.
  • A reason for the referral must be selected (from the list or via speed button) in the "Reason" field.
  • FAST (Facilitated Access to Specialized Treatment) referral orders will now be entered using the specialty-specific order (e.g., urology) and then indicating in the order that it is for FAST, rather than using a customized FAST referral for each specialty.
  • For outgoing referrals, the "To loc/pos" (location/place of service) field is now a recommended field.  
  • Referral orders now contain a link to the Referrals section of the Connect Care Manual, in the "Reference Links" section.
Note: given the changes to the referral order composer, any personalizations of Order Sets or Smart Sets containing referral orders will have to be re-entered after the update. Order preference lists will not be affected.

Changes to the Referral Triage In Basket Message Report
  • The referral triage In Basket message report is now available from the In Basket Message as well as the Referral Sidebar.
  • A "Notes" section has been created to display specialty comments and referral attachments.
  • A "Messages" section has been added.
  • Referral notifications have been moved to a separate tab ("Notifications").
  • The referral reason ("Rfl Reason") has been added to the message preview. 
  • An "Order Information" section, including a hyperlink to the Ordering Encounter Summary and Appointment Request, has been added.
For screenshots and a walkthrough of each change, see the tip sheet and demo video.

    Workflow Updates for Transferring Patients to Continuing Care

    Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
    • Workflow Updates for Transferring Patients to Continuing Care Facility
    As of October 17, 2023, Connect Care discharge navigator updates will clarify prescriber workflows when patients are sent from an acute care facility to a Connect Care Continuing Care facility. Continuing Care facilities include Supportive Living (SL), Designated Supportive Living (DSL) and Long-Term Care (LTC) facilities with external (contracted) pharmacy services.

    Connect Care will automatically select and present appropriate tools in the discharge navigator's Inter-facility Transfer (IFT) tab. The workflow for transferring a patient to a non-Connect Care LTC facility does not change.
    • Discharge vs. IFT Tab: When sending to a SL/DSL facility, the main Discharge navigator tab should be used because the destination facility is considered the patient's home. When sending to a LTC facility, the discharge navigator's IFT tab should be used. 
    • LTC with internal vs. external pharmacy: When sending a patient to a LTC facility, the IFT navigator will present the appropriate tools based on whether the LTC has an internal or external (contracted) pharmacy service:
      • Connect Care LTC with internal pharmacy services: All orders (medication and non-medication) can be signed and held through the IFT navigator to be released at the receiving site.
      • Connect Care LTC with external (contracted) pharmacy services: As the pharmacy supplying medications is not on Connect Care, this external pharmacy requires Discharge Medication Reconciliation for medication orders. Non-medication orders require the usual IFT to Connect Care process, leaving non-medication orders signed and held for the receiving facility to release. The IFT navigator contains the tools for both these types of orders.
    For more information:

      In Basket Update - Co-Sign and Incomplete Notes Folders

      Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
      • Co-Sign and Incomplete Notes In Basket Folders
      Summative notes authored by trainees require a co-signature from the appropriate prescriber. This contrasts with progress notes, which do not require a co-signature. Often trainees will be asked to, or be in the habit of, having their progress notes cosigned. To date, a corresponding In Basket folder with co-sign messages has not been visible, making it difficult for prescribers to complete the co-sign action. Rather, a deficiency notification was triggered, and the co-sign deficiency would be visible in the "Chart Completion" folder. 

      As of October 17, 2023, "Co-Sign Notes" and "Incomplete Notes" In Basket folders will become visible to those prescribers that Supervised Trainees have selected as Co-Signers, when a note needs to be co-signed.
      • The Co-Sign Notes and Incomplete Notes folders will only display in the co-signing prescriber's In Basket if there are messages in them. 
      • Each notification in the Co-Sign Notes and Incomplete Notes folders will include information about the patient and document type, and action buttons are provided to allow users to complete the task of co-signing/completing the note, similar to notifications in the Chart Completion folder. 
      • Prescribers will continue to see deficiencies in the Chart Completion folder; in addition, a notification will be visible in the Co-Sign Notes or Incomplete Notes folder. When the deficiency is managed via chart completion, the corresponding message will be removed from the Co-Sign Notes or Incomplete Notes folder.
      • Since outpatient encounters are closed when the scheduled prescriber signs the visit, outpatient/ambulatory (progress) notes should not be identified as requiring a co-signature. Outstanding co-sign messages for ambulatory notes will be removed prior to this change; incomplete notes will remain in the "Incomplete Notes" Folder.
      For more information on how to manage notifications in the Co-Sign Notes and Incomplete Notes folders:

      DI Order Update - Order Status

      Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
      • Change to DI Order Status Requirements
      As of October 3, 2023, outpatient diagnostic imaging orders will require a status of "Future" to ensure that DI staff can process the order. 
      • In the "Status" field, imaging orders will default to "Future". 
      • If the order has a status of "Normal" or "Standing", a pop-up will appear indicating that the order status must be changed to "Future" to be able to sign the order.
      • If the imaging is required more than once, rather than using the "Standing" status, multiple orders will need to be placed for multiple exams. This can be done through an order set or through personalizing an order panel with multiple imaging orders (see the poster linked below for more information).

      WCB Form Changes

      Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
      • WCB Form Changes
      As of September 19, 2023, a few updates will be made to the WCB form:
      • In the first section of the form, the "Load previous WCB Connect Care form" functionality has changed:
        • If the "Yes" button is selected, only the below elements will be loaded from the previous WCB form:
        • The "No" button has been removed, and there is now a "Clear WCB Form" button. This button can be selected to clear all the information entered in the form (instead of exiting the form to start over).
      • In the "Treatment Plan Details" section, after the user makes a selection in the "Category" field (i.e., Consultation/Referral or Investigation), a selection in the "Type" field will now be mandatory. The type options will appear in a dropdown list, and are dependent on what category was selected.

        Vaccine Nomenclature Update

        Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
        • Vaccine Nomenclature Update
        As of September 19, 2023, a change in the syntax for vaccines will be live in Connect Care. This change is intended to make it easier for prescribers to identify and order the correct vaccine to be administered.

        The updated syntax will appear as follows: <"(Vaccine code)"><Vaccine name/Description><suffix (where applicable)><Strength><"vaccine"><Brand name><form name>. For example:
        • Old syntax: diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (dTap) combined vaccine (Boostrix) injection
        • New syntax: (dTap) diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis vaccine (Boostrix) Syringe 

        ED Pre-Op Orders - Change in Sign and Held Status

        Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
        • Change in Sign and Held Status for Pre-Op Orders Placed in the ED
        As of September 19, 2023, all orders placed from the ED using pre-op (preprocedure) order sets will change from being signed and held to signed.

        Currently, all pre-procedure orders are signed and held regardless of where they are placed (ambulatory, ED or inpatient); this works well except for the ED, where the orders are not visible to the ED nurse and the admission orders are held for release, thereby delaying the admission of the patient. As a consequence, several problematic workarounds have been used to release the orders leading to safety issues.

        The Changes:
        1. Any orders that are from a pre-op order set will now be automatically released in the ED, negating the need to do the workaround of changing the phase of care or from signed and held to signed. They will remain as preprocedure phase of care attached to the case selected in the case request portion of the order sets.
        2. A section has been added to the Pre-Op Consult navigator, which is the correct navigator to be using for ED consults that will allow for reconciliation of both home and current (ED) medications. This new section will be at the bottom of the list of activities in the Pre-Op Consult navigator; by clicking on this, you will be given the opportunity to enter home meds and to continue or stop meds active in the ED to avoid ordering duplicate medications. These medications will also be active and not signed and held.

        NOTE: These changes will apply only to orders placed when the patient is admitted to the ED, and will not occur with inpatient consults.

        Cardiovascular Disease Risk Calculator - Enhanced Lipid Reporting

        Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
        • Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment made easy with Enhanced Lipid Reporting 
        Enhanced Lipid Reporting (ELR) is a new, easy-to-use, lab-based approach to measure cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and ensure those at risk get guideline-directed treatment. The Framingham Risk Score (FRS) and Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) Dyslipidemia guidelines have been built into Connect Care, allowing lab reports to provide a CVD Risk score along with treatment recommendations, based on information from a patient’s lab requisition and blood sample. 

        The ELR goes to the healthcare provider, Netcare, and patients through their MyHealth Record account with links to patient education resources. This practice improvement opportunity promotes Alberta Screening and Prevention (ASaP) data reporting, continuity of care and patient empowerment. 

        To order a CVD risk assessment in Connect Care, use the "Order Inquiry" activity. The search terms "cvd", "framingham", "fram" and "lipid" will all bring up the "Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment" test name. When the test is selected, the below pop-up with screening questions will appear.


        For more details:

        Surgical Booking Request Options Update

        Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
        • "Case Request Operating Room" Order Update
        As of August 29, 2023, "E01 - within 1 hour" will be a selectable option in the "Case Classification" field for booking emergency surgeries. Surgeons will see this in the "Case Request Operating Room" order (see below screenshot); Clerks/Nursing will also see this option, in the case request form.

        Ambulatory Lab Update - Expected Date

        Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
        • Ambulatory Lab Orders - Expected Date
        As of August 21, 2023, the "Expected Date" field for ambulatory lab orders will be a required field, and will default to today's date (see below sample screenshot). If needed, users can change the date to a more appropriate date; if the date is removed, the user will be prompted to enter a date.

        Heart Failure Care Path Update - New Score Available

        Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...
        • Heart Failure Care Path - mHFC Score
        As of August 21, 2023, a new modified Heart Failure Collaboratory (mHFC) Score will be added to the HF Care Path, to be applied to HF patients with a reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF patients; LVEF ≤40%). This score is automatically calculated (higher being better), as a summary measure of adherence to evidence-based treatments known to improve HF patient outcomes. 

        How to use
        If applicable to the patient, the mHFC Score will be accessible in one of the following ways (see below for link to screenshots):
        1. Care Path Best Practice Alerts (BPAs) - just below the treatment summary
        2. Care Path Summary
        3. Column hover feature in the Patient List
        4. SmartPhrase ".MHFCSCORE" 
        Please click to see this helpful document with details of the score and Connect Care screenshots: mHFC Score Benefits and Images.

        If you have questions, please send to: HF.Pathway@ahs.ca.