- Request for Additional Testing of Pathology Samples order status
Connect Care Support Forum
Peer-to-peer support for clinicians using the Connect Care clinical information system.
Lab Update - Ordering Additional Testing for Ambulatory and Orders-Only Encounters
Inpatient Nursing Note and Allied Health Summary Note Types - Update
- Edit/addend abilities removed for Nursing/Allied Health Summary note types
New Cirrhosis Best Practice Advisories
- Rifaximin BPAs
- 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
- RAAPID Documentation - Sidebar or Floating Window
ASAP Users - Handoff Activity Now in Dispo Tab
- ASAP Users - Handoff Activity Now in "Dispo" Tab
New Drug-Disease Medication Interaction Warnings
- New Drug-Disease Medication Interaction Warnings
- 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.
Updates to Surgery Postprocedure Analgesics
- Updates to Surgery Postprocedure Analgesics
- Affected ERAS Postprocedure order sets:
- ERAS Breast Reconstruction Surgery Postprocedure Adult
- ERAS Colorectal Postprocedure Adult
- ERAS Liver Surgery Postprocedure Adult
- ERAS Major Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology Surgery Postprocedure Adult
- ERAS Pancreas Surgery Postprocedure Adult
- Moderate to severe acute postsurgical pain is best managed using a combination of scheduled non-opioid analgesics and PRN opioids. For further information about optimal pain management plans for surgical patients, see the following resources:
Perioperative Insulin Management Order Set Enhancements
- Insulin Order Set and Order Panel Enhancements
- "Pre-procedure Management of Patients with Diabetes Mellitus, Adult"
- "Post-procedure Management of Patients with Diabetes Mellitus, Adult"
- "Basal Bolus Insulin Therapy (BBIT), Adult"
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
- New Task for Repeating Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
Provider Same Name Enhancements
- Provider Same Name Enhancements
- 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
- PowerMic Mobile update problems on iOS Devices
- 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.
- When prompted, make sure to delete the PMM app completely.
- 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
Medication Ordering Supports for Supportive Care Facilities with External Pharmacies
- Medication Orders in Facilities with External Pharmacies
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
- Problem Oriented Charting Supports for Outpatient Visits
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
- Sidebar Index for Prescribers now available in Outpatient Encounters
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
- Long-Term Care Medical Assessment Forms Digitized
"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
- PowerMic Mobile not launching on Android Devices
- 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).
If PMM has stopped working on an Android device with prior successful use:
- Go to Android Settings and select the "Apps" option.
- Within Apps, go to the "Work" folder (icon at bottom of Apps screen).
- Find the "PowerMic Mobile" app (will have a lock symbol on the PMM icon).
- Tap to open PowerMic Mobile "App Info" screen.
- Tap "Force Stop" icon at the bottom of the App Info screen.
- Tap "Uninstall" icon at the bottom of the App Info screen.
- Restart mobile device (completely turn off and then on again).
- 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.
- 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.
- Open the PMM app and login as usual.
- 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"
- 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
- Import the PMM profile via http://ahs-cis.ca/pmm by selecting the "Android" link and choosing to open with "PowerMic Mobile".
Trouble-shooting PowerMic Mobile on iOS Devices
- PowerMic Mobile not launching on iOS Devices
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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".
- When prompted, accept the "Open in PowerMic Mobile" query.
- PowerMic Mobile will open. Accept the microphone access request.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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
- Linked H&P Notes
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
- Referral Workflow Updates
- 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.
- 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.
Workflow Updates for Transferring Patients to Continuing Care
- Workflow Updates for Transferring Patients to Continuing Care Facility
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.
In Basket Update - Co-Sign and Incomplete Notes Folders
- Co-Sign and Incomplete Notes In Basket Folders
- 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.
DI Order Update - Order Status
- Change to DI Order Status Requirements
- 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
- WCB Form Changes
- 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
- Vaccine Nomenclature Update
- 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
- Change in Sign and Held Status for Pre-Op Orders Placed in the ED
- 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.
- 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.
Cardiovascular Disease Risk Calculator - Enhanced Lipid Reporting
- Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment made easy with Enhanced Lipid Reporting
Surgical Booking Request Options Update
- "Case Request Operating Room" Order Update