- Update to Ambulatory Referral to Rehabilitation and Speech Therapy Orders
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Peer-to-peer support for clinicians using the Connect Care clinical information system.
Update to Ambulatory Referral to Rehabilitation and Speech Therapy Orders
Removal of Reorder Lab Tests and Lab Procedures Functionality from Results Review
- Removal of Reorder Lab Tests and Lab Procedures Functionality from Results Review
Lab tests and lab procedures can still be reordered with a right-click from Chart Review – Lab Reports, with the option to change the order parameters and order related questions (click camera icon to see screenshot).
Tool Tune Up: April 2025 Order Tool Updates
Consider looking back each week.
Optimization Training - Classes in April
The CMIO Training team offers Optimization classes (a.k.a. Thrive classes), where Connect Care prescribers can learn how to take full advantage of the features of the clinical information system, to help maximize their productivity and spend more time with patients. Classes are 60 minutes in length each and focus on completing common workflows more efficiently.
Below are the Optimization classes scheduled for April 2025.
- In Basket Management
- April 4, 08:30–09:30
- April 9, 11:00–12:00
- April 16, 10:00–11:00
- April 23, 12:00–13:00
- April 24, 11:30–12:30
- April 29, 13:00–14:00
- Lab Ordering
- April 2, 19:00–20:00
- April 9, 19:00–20:00
- April 11, 12:00–13:00
- April 23, 12:00–13:00
- April 25, 12:00–13:00
- Notes
- April 2, 12:00–13:00
- April 9, 12:00–13:00
- April 16, 12:00–13:00
- April 22, 12:00–13:00
- April 30, 12:00–13:00
- Orders Optimization
- April 1, 13:00–14:00
- April 10, 12:00–13:00
- April 16, 12:00–13:00
- April 23, 10:00–11:00
- SmartTools
- April 1, 12:00–13:00
- April 8, 12:00–13:00
- April 14, 12:00–13:00
- April 24, 12:00–13:00
- Therapy Plans
- April 14, 12:00–13:00
- April 23, 11:00–12:00
- April 29, 13:00–14:00
Prescribers can register for these Optimization classes at the below link (clicking the new “Optimization” button at the bottom of any page in the Connect Care Manual will also take you to the booking page). Classes will be added regularly, so please continue to check back. Spots are limited to ensure trainers can address individual questions. Please ensure that you review your confirmation email from "Bookings CMIO Thrive" for the class link, and requirements for the session.
Update to RAAPID Service Request Order
- Updated "Requested Service" List in RAAPID Service Request Order
As of March 25, 2025, the "Requested service" list in the RAAPID Service Request order has been adjusted to provide selections from the more precise Clinical Services list. This information will help RAAPID connect you with the appropriate prescriber. Note that this update may impact personalized preference lists; if you have this order personalized with a particular "requested service" selection, you will need to re-personalize it.
Additional Update to Consent eForms - Telephone Consents [Updated]
- Connect Care Upgrade Update: Additional Changes to Telephone Consent Forms
As of March 20, 2025, when the "Telephone" button is selected under the "Telephone/Fax Consent" section for the consent form types listed below, a name field will again appear (click the camera icon for a screenshot). For more information, see page 40 of the Consent & eForms Navigator
- Consent forms affected:
- Consent to Surgery or Invasive Procedure
- Consent to Treatment Plan or Procedure
- Consent Withdrawal or Refusal
- Consent Immunization
- Consent for pre-mortem interventions
- Consent to Organ and Tissue Donation
- Informed Consent Subject to the Mental Health Act
Update to eForms Including Consent for Procedure, All Mental Health Forms
- Connect Care Upgrade Update: eForms including Consent for Procedure and all Mental Health Forms
Pharmacy Update - Levodopa-Carbidopa Custom Dosing Units
- Pharmacy Update - Levodopa-Carbidopa Custom Dosing Units
- “tablet of 100 mg – 10 mg”
- “tablet of 100 mg – 25 mg”
- “tablet of 250 mg – 25 mg”
Tool Tune Up: January–March 2025 Order Tool Updates
Consider looking back each week.
- Spreadsheet: Order Tool Updates - January-March 2025 [updated March 13]
New Order - Request for Miscellaneous External Lab Test [Rescheduled]
- New Request for Miscellaneous External Lab Test [Rescheduled]
New Inpatient Option to CC Multiple Test Results
- New Inpatient "CC Results" Button
- From either activity, click on the "Options" dropdown menu, then select "CC Results" (click on the camera icons below to see screenshots).
- In the pop-up window that appears, search for the intended recipient(s), select the labs you want to cc, click the "Add" button, and then "Accept".
- If you want different recipients to get different results, these steps must be done for each recipient (i.e., click "Accept" after adding the first recipient, close the window, and repeat the above steps for the second recipient).
Formulary Changes - New Topical Anesthetic and Oral Histamine H2-Antagonist
- Upcoming Formulary Changes
- New topical anesthetic: Lidocaine 4% cream (Maxilene) and prilocaine–lidocaine 2.5 %-2.5% cream (EMLA) will be replaced with lidocaine 5% cream (Zensa). This product is intended to provide topical anesthesia prior to IV cannulation, venipuncture and IM administration. The cost savings identified by this change is significant.
- New oral histamine H2-antagonist: Oral ranitidine (Zantac) will be replaced with oral famotidine (Pepcid).
Optimization Training - Classes in February/March
The CMIO Training team offers Optimization classes (previously called Thrive classes), where Connect Care prescribers can learn how to take full advantage of the features of the clinical information system, to help maximize their productivity and spend more time with patients. Classes are 60 minutes in length each and focus on completing common workflows more efficiently.
Below are the Optimization classes scheduled for late February and March 2025.
- In Basket Management
- March 4, 08:00–09:00
- March 11, 12:00–13:00
- March 12, 10:00–11:00
- March 12, 12:30–13:30
- March 20, 09:30–10:30
- March 25, 14:30–15:30
- Lab Ordering
- February 26, 12:00–13:00
- March 5, 12:00–13:00
- March 12, 12:00–13:00
- Notes
- March 7, 12:00–13:00
- March 19, 12:00–13:00
- Orders Optimization
- February 28, 07:00–08:00
- March 3, 12:00–13:00
- March 11, 10:00–11:00
- March 12, 12:00–13:00
- March 20, 12:00–13:00
- March 27, 10:00–11:00
- SmartTools
- February 25, 12:00–13:00
- March 4, 12:00–13:00
- March 11, 12:00–13:00
- March 25, 12:00–13:00
- Anesthesia (These classes do not have to be done in chronological order, and each covers different topics)
- Anesthesia Optimization 1 - Intraprocedural Workflows
- March 3, 10:00–11:00
- Anesthesia Optimization 2 - Working with Anesthesia Records
- March 4, 15:00–16:00
- Anesthesia Optimization 3 - Personalizing Macros
- March 25, 15:00–16:00
Prescribers can register for these Optimization classes at the below link. Classes will be added regularly, so please continue to check back. Spots are limited to ensure trainers can address individual questions. Please ensure that you review your confirmation email from "Bookings CMIO Thrive" for the class link, and requirements for the session.
Place in Outpatient/Hospital Ambulatory Surgery Order - Updated Availability [Updated]
- Place in Outpatient/Hospital Ambulatory Surgery Order - Updated Availability
In order to reduce confusion and prevent providers from entering the Place in Outpatient/Hospital Ambulatory Surgery order after an admit order has been placed, the order has been removed from the facility pick list. Effective December 12, 2024, the order can only be found and selected within the pre-admission order sets which should be done preoperatively. For those surgeons who do not enter pre-procedure order sets, the order can also be found within the post-procedure order set.
- Place in Outpatient/Hospital Ambulatory Surgery: This is an ADT order that should only be used for Day Surgery patients.
- Using the Prep for Procedure navigator, the order can be found in the Surgical Admission pre-procedure order sets.
- Should be selected for patients expected to discharge after surgery.
- Admit to Inpatient: This order should ONLY be used for a Day Surgery class patient if they require an inpatient admission (i.e., they are no longer a Day Surgery patient).
- Once the admit order is placed, it cannot be undone by placing a Place in Outpatient/Hospital Ambulatory Surgery order.
- The patient class will update to Inpatient after the admit order is placed, which will require surgeons to complete a discharge summary and full medication reconciliation.
- To facilitate patient movement for Day Surgery patients into inpatient spaces (keeping them as Day Surgery class), use the extended stay workflow.
- If plans have changed post-procedure and the patient requires extra recovery time on a unit, the surgeon can modify the existing Place in Outpatient/Hospital Ambulatory Order and select "Yes" to "Is this patient expected to stay later than regular business hours?".
Patient List Updates - Out of Country / Province / Zone Patients
- Patient List Updates - Out of Country/Province/Zone Patients
- Highlight your patient list and click "Edit List" to see the drop down menu (click the left camera icon below to see a screenshot). Select "Properties (click the right camera icon below).
- In the pop-up, using the search field, find the "Out of Country Province or Zone" column, click "Add Column", and then "Accept".
Updated Respiratory Infection (Incl. COVID-19) NAT Order
- Updated Respiratory Infection (Incl. COVID-19) NAT Order
- The RPP tests for SARS-CoV-2, flu, RSV, human metapneumoviruses, other human coronaviruses, adenovirus, enterovirus/rhinovirus, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. If testing for the full panel of viruses is required, consider ordering only RPP rather than rapid COVID-19/flu/RSV.
- Only request RPP or any other respiratory virus testing when it is required for clinical care AND meets appropriate testing criteria (severely immunocompromised, critical respiratory failure, myocarditis, acute flaccid paralysis, child with fever NYD after initial investigations, outbreak investigations).
- RPP is often tested within 24 hours upon receipt at the APL Provincial Public Health Laboratory.
Changes to Hereditary Thrombophilia Investigations Order
- Changes to Hereditary Thrombophilia Investigations Order
- Two new hard stops have been added, for the "Test(s) Required?" and the "Is the patient currently on any anticoagulants?" questions (click the camera icon below to see a screenshot).
- The antiphospholipid panel has been removed. If needed, it should be ordered separately by adding the "Antiphospholipid Syndrome Investigation [LAB478]" order to the cart.
- A new pop-up will appear has been added when the patient has not met criteria for testing and no tests will be added to the cart. Prescribers are asked to accept the order or review the answers to questions before signing the order. If the patient does not meet the testing criteria, the prescriber should call the Thrombosis Specialist to investigate (www.specialistlink.ca).
Changes to "After Visit ECG 12-Lead" Order
- Central Zone Lab ECG Locations Removed from "After Visit ECG 12-Lead" Order
Changes to Anesthesia Medication Records - Action May Be Needed
- Changes to Ropivacaine, Bupivacaine PCEA, and Nerve Block Medication Records
Therapy Plans - Bulk Management Now Available
- Therapy Plans - Bulk Management Now Available
Taming In Basket - Removal of Messages Older Than 90 Days
- Taming In Basket - Removal of Messages >90 Days
- Appointment Notification
- Case Message
- Covered Work
- Media Manager
- OOC Notification
- BestPractice
- Addendum Notification
- Rx Response
- Pt Admitted/Discharged
- Canceled Orders
New Ambulatory Referral to Oncofertility
- New Ambulatory Referral to Oncofertility
New Ordering Tools Available in Connect Care
- New Ordering Tools Available in Connect Care
- Elder-Friendly Approach to the Seniors Environment Admission Adult Order Set
- Elder-Friendly Approach to the Seniors Environment Postprocedure Adult Order Set
- Frostbite Admission Adult Order Set
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.
RAAPID Notes Now in Patient Lists
- RAAPID Notes in Patient Lists
Optimization of Prescriber Billing Tools - Health Insurance Status
- Optimization of Prescriber Billing Tools - Health Insurance Status
Cleanup of Pharmacy Records in Connect Care (Action May Be Needed)
- Cleanup of Pharmacy Records in Connect Care
As a result of this cleanup, please note that prescribers may have to re-add preferred pharmacies for some patients, i.e., if the record selected for their preferred pharmacy was one of the duplicates that were deleted.
Changes to Follow-Up Appointment Requests Section
- Changes to Follow-Up Appointment Requests Section
To avoid unmanaged Follow-Up Appointment requests, as of December 17, 2024 (between 13:00 and 15:00), changes will be made to the Follow-Up/Disp & CC section, primarily that it will no longer appear if the encounter department does not have the functionality to accept and process the request. Note these changes do not apply to Ambulatory departments that do not currently use the Follow-Up/Disp & CC section.
- If an encounter department accepts Follow-Up Appointment requests: The current Follow-Up/Disp & CC section will continue to display, as "Follow-Up".
- If an encounter department does not accept Follow-Up Appointment requests: Prescribers will now see a "Send Chart" section instead of a Follow-Up section, which will allow them to appropriately route the chart (e.g., to an MOA) to request a follow-up.
- In unscheduled (Quick) encounters: A new banner called "Encounter Department Information" will appear above the Follow-Up/Send Chart section, to show the current encounter department and give instructions on how to change it if required.
- If logged in to a physical department: If the encounter department shown is incorrect, prescribers can click the hyperlink provided to change the department (will need to press F5 to refresh). See the screenshot for an example.
- If logged in to a virtual department: The display will indicate that a physical department is required for all appointment/follow-up requests and orders, to ensure they are routed correctly and have the correct department contact information. Prescribers can click the hyperlink provided to change the department (will need to press F5 to refresh). See the screenshot for an example.
Pharmacy Update - Partial Patch Doses
- Ordering Partial Patch Doses
- buprenorphine 5 mcg/hour weekly transdermal patch
- estradiol 0.025 mg/24 hour weekly transdermal patch
- estradiol 0.025 mg/24 hour semiweekly transdermal patch
- fentanyl 12 mcg/hour transdermal patch
- nitroglycerin 0.2 mg/hour transdermal patch
Specialty Referral Optimization
- Additional Improvements to Ambulatory Referrals
Continuing the optimization work that started this summer, further changes will be made December 10, 2024 (between 12:00 and 13:00), specifically to Ambulatory Referral Orders for Hepatology, Urology, Pediatric Neurology, and Pediatric Orthopaedics.
- Updated referral orders for these specialties will include custom specialty reference links, optimized speed buttons, and cascading questions specific to specialty criteria.
- Users may be required to re-personalize preference lists and Order Sets/SmartSets containing previous versions of these ambulatory referral orders, to ensure the updated version is used.