Lab Results Review Update - Microbiology

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...

• Lab Results Review Update - Microbiology

With the aim of improving lab results review for microbiology, as of June 11, 2026, tests will be reorganized into the following folders (click the camera icon to see an example screenshot):

• Bacterial 
• STI
• Viral: HIV, Hepatitis, Viral - Respiratory, Viral - Other 
• Fungal 
• Parasitic 
• Serology 
• Other Microbiology (includes prions, e.g., CJD, unclassified new/emerging pathogens)

If you see microbiology tests that appear to be in the wrong section, please put in a Connect Care ticket and forward to help.cmio@hssab.ca.

The Lab team is working hard to re-organize the remaining sections of lab results in the Results Review tree in the coming months.

In Basket Update - "Not My Result" Workflow Optimization

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...

• In Basket Update - "Not My Result" Workflow Optimization

As of March 12, 2026, the "Not My Result" QuickAction function in In Basket will be updated to reduce inappropriate forwarding to the error pool. 

• In the Result Note that opens after clicking the Not My Result button, the wording of the options in the "Steps taken" dropdown list has been updated to provide the user with additional instructions if the result needs to go to the error pool (click the camera icon to see a screenshot).

• The “Route” checkbox will no longer be selected by default when the Result Note opens via the Not My Result button. If the user checks the "Route" box in order to forward the result to the error pool, an "Enter recipients" field will appear, and will be a hardstop. 

  

• To add the error pool in the "Enter recipients" field, users can either type in "P AHS NMR AUTOROUTE POOL" or click the magnifying glass and, in the pop-up, search for "ahs nmr" in the "Pools" field.

 

For more information on In Basket, please see the CMIO's In Basket Management Guide:

• Guide: In Basket Management - CMIO

Changes to Display of Glucometer Results

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...

• Changes to Display of Glucometer Results

As of February 3, 2026, glucometer results will be separated from lab results in the Results Review tree. This change is in response to feedback that frequent, repeated glucometer readings made it difficult to trend lab results in the Results Review tree. Additionally, these readings often triggered urgent or critical lab notifications due to high or low glucose values, reducing the effectiveness of the notification tool. 

Following the change, glucometer results can be found in a number of locations in Connect Care:

• Inpatient Patient List and Ambulatory Multi-Provider Schedule columns:
• “Lab Notifications” column: As previously posted, this inpatient Patient List column displays both new lab values and glucometer values.
• Hover over the coloured dot to see the most recent glucose values.
• Double-click the dot to open the Glucose Management Report.
• “Glucometer Overview” column: As previously posted, this recently updated column shows only glucometer values for quick reference. The column is available to add to inpatient Patient Lists and, as of January 21, can also be added to the ambulatory Multi-Provider Schedule (see the updated tip sheet for details).
• Storyboard: Under “Results in the last 36 hours”. Hover to view both lab and glucometer results.
• "Summary" activity:
• Summary → Overview: “Blood glucose last 24 hours”. Clicking this header opens the Glucose Management Report.
• Summary → Glucose Management Report
• Tip: This report is also available in the outpatient context for reviewing AHS glucometer results when needed.
• Chart Search: Type “glucometer”.
• "Synopsis" activity: Includes a "Diabetes Synopsis" section.

For more information on glycemic monitoring and management, see the Connect Care Manual:

• Manual: Glycemic Monitoring and Management  

New Inpatient Option to CC Multiple Test Results

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...

• New Inpatient "CC Results" Button

As of February 27, 2025, a new "CC Results" option will be available in the inpatient Orders and Discharge Orders Reconciliation activities, allowing prescribers to copy the results of multiple tests at the same time (instead of one at a time) to another provider(s). This option is already available in ambulatory workspaces.

• 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).

Laboratory Results Review Update - Cord Blood Gases

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...

• Laboratory Results Review Update - Cord Blood Gases

With the aim of improving lab results review for cord blood gases, the previous Result Review "Cord Blood BG" folder has been separated into two separate folders: "CORD ARTERIAL BG" and "CORD VENOUS BG" (click on the camera icon below for a screenshot). Smart Tools/Text using these components may need to be updated. 

New SmartLinks Available for Scores and Results

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...

• New SmartLinks Available

"SmartLinks" are a text-automation tool available in Connect Care. When a SmartLink "token" is inserted into documentation (notes or templates), it pulls health information (e.g., problem lists, medication lists, vitals) from the health record, replacing the token with the desired information. 

Built on request of a Connect Care prescriber, other prescribers may find the below new SmartLinks useful to save as a personalization. To use in a note, ensure you type a dot followed by the token, as shown below; to use in a SmartPhrase, type an "@" before and after the token (no dot).

•  AHS CIWA TOTAL SCORE LAST 5 READINGS
• SmartLink: .GIMCIWA72HRX5
• Description: Pulls in the patient's total score of the last 5 readings entered within the last 72 hours for the 10-item CIWA alcohol withdrawal assessment. 
• AHS COW SCORE TOTAL LAST 5 READINGS 
• SmartLink: .GIMCOWS72HRX5
• Description: Pulls in the patient's total score of the last 5 readings entered within the last 72 hours for the Clinical Opioid Withdrawal assessment.
• AHS BLADDER SCANS 72 HRS LAST 5 READINGS
• SmartLink: .RESIDUALURINEX5
• Description: Pulls in the patient's last 5 readings entered within the last 72 hours for bladder scans/post-void residuals.
• AHS LAB RESULTS 7 DAY LOOK BACK
• SmartLink: .LABRESULTS7D
• Description: Can be used to construct SmartPhrases to bring in specific last results from the last 7 days (e.g., a SmartPhrase to bring in Hepatic Panel Results from the last 7 days). Requires specifying the appropriate name of the lab wanted.
• AHS LAB RESULTS 3 DAY LOOK BACK
• SmartLink: .LABRESULTS3D 
• Description: Can be used to construct SmartPhrases to bring in specific last results from the last 3 days (e.g., a SmartPhrase to bring in Renal Results from the last 3 days). Requires specifying the appropriate name of the lab wanted.

For more information on other approved SmartLinks in Connect Care, see: 

• Handbook: Scores SmartTools
• Handbook: Results SmartTools

Inpatient Pathology/Cytology Post-Discharge Results

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...

• Inpatient Pathology Results Returned Post-Discharge Now Sent to Authorizing Provider

As of August 14, 2023, results for pathology/cytology ordered during an inpatient admission that are returned post-discharge will be sent to the Authorizing Provider in addition to the last Attending Provider. Previously, these results would only be sent to the last Attending Provider.

• All other inpatient results returned post-discharge will continue to be sent to the last Attending Provider only.
• The Attending Provider will continue to be responsible for follow-up of results post-discharge.

For more information on results management, see the FAQ:

• FAQ: Results Management

ECG Preliminary Results No Longer Sent

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...

• ECG Preliminary Results No Longer Sent

When an ECG is performed, a system-generated interpretation of the ECG is transmitted to Connect Care as a preliminary report. While this report can help frontline healthcare workers determine if a patient needs immediate attention, the results need to be confirmed by a cardiologist because the report is not necessarily 100% accurate. 

Previously, this preliminary report was sent out to the ordering prescriber prior to the results being confirmed. As of July 11, 2023, ECG preliminary results will no longer be sent to the ordering prescriber. The final results report will continue to be sent to the ordering prescriber once confirmed.

PFT Discrete Data in Results Review

Enhancement updates provide short alerts to new, fixed or improved Connect Care functions...

• Pulmonary Function Testing discrete data now in Results Review

As of July 5, 2021, the "Results Review" activity, available in Connect Care Hyperspace for charts opened to inpatient encounters, contains Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) discrete data obtained from AHS Pulmonary Function Labs using the Sentry Suite PFT information system.

Presentation of values for measures like FVC and FEV1 will allow for trending of PFT discreet data. Also, PFT data becomes easier to access for a wider range of users.

A PFT synopsis view is also newly available. "Synopsis" is an activity that streamlines the presentation of quantitative clinical data. The activity can be selected from any patient chart opened to an inpatient or outpatient encounter. 

Emergency Visit Reports from non-Connect Care sites Available in Connect Care

Problem: Emergency room visits where Connect Care is the record of care are reported in a standardized way and shared with the Alberta Netcare Portal; but summaries of visits at non-Connect Care sites do not appear within Connect Care.

Solution: On February 10, 2020, a data feed for emergency documents was activated in Connect Care. When a patient visits an Edmonton emergency department that has not implemented Connect Care, their documents are scanned and incorporated into Connect Care. This allows providers using Connect Care to view their patients’ emergency documents within the chart, rather than having to launch Netcare. Note that reports prior to February 10 are not converted.