Connect Care Newsletter - December 20, 2019

In our last issue of 2019, we discuss the latest sequencing updates, find out how Connect Care is working for one unit since the Wave 1 launch and more. Visit the Connect Care Insite page or the AHS webste for more information about Connect Care.

Happy holidays!

In this issue:

Modified wave sequencing and timing

With the launch of Connect Care’s Wave 1 in November almost behind us, we are now looking ahead to the next launches, occurring in waves over the next few years. Nine implementation waves in total are planned between late 2019 and late 2022/early 2023.

Following extensive discussion, senior leaders have adjusted the timing and scope of Connect Care’s Waves 2 and 3, and modified the scope of Waves 4 and 5. Wave 1 launched in November 2019 successfully, and we want to align upcoming launch plans with lessons learned.

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Connect Care success in a Wave 1 hospital unit

When Barbara Wong looks to the future, she envisions better patient safety and a more integrated team approach to care, thanks to the Connect Care clinical information system (CIS). Wong is a Unit Manager at the University of Alberta, which was part of the Wave 1 launch this past November.

Since launch, Wong and her team are thrilled with how the system is working for them so far.

“As a manager and charge nurse, I can organize the patients to go for tests for the day, follow up with lab for missing blood collections, assess any barriers to discharge well in advance, and always have the most up-to-date information at my fingertips without having to open each and every chart.”

Wong is also enthusiastic about using the Patient List feature to track potential safety issues and concerns that affect their patients. In the CIS, patient lists allow staff to monitor their patients based on customizable criteria important to their care area.

Because patient orders can change quickly, Wong set up a shared list to provide a quick view of the unit and orders she and the charge nurses need to keep an eye on.

“We look at key items that keep our patients in hospital longer than necessary, like Foley catheters and central lines, so we can advocate removing them when indicated and reduce risk of infection,” she says. The team also receives notifications for missing documentation, overdue medications, stat orders, pending diagnostics and other important data points to improve patient safety.

When asked what she thinks healthcare will look like once Connect Care is fully implemented, Wong says we will have fewer preventable patient safety issues because the data will allow us to recognize and address concerns earlier.

“Connect Care is giving our patients a giant safety net.”

Connect Care reporting content certification

With the Wave 1 launch behind us, we are working to ensure the Connect Care in-system reporting content is working as expected. To accomplish this, we are using a certification process to verify Connect Care content such as dashboards and reports.

Why are we verifying this content now, after the Wave 1 launch?
Prior to the Wave 1 launch, all content did go through a validation process using test data. Now that we have real patients in the system, we are verifying content again using real data. This process is called certification.

How will I know if the content I am using has been certified?
Once a given dashboard or report is certified, a ribbon icon will appear on the screen in Connect Care. A blue ribbon appears on certified dashboards, a purple ribbon appears on certified Reporting Workbench reports and an orange ribbon indicates certified Crystal reports.

What if the content I am using has not been certified yet?
All content should be used with caution, as there may be variation and inaccuracies until certification is complete.

Will physician-identifiable information be visible?
No. AHS is committed to not expose identifiable data about physicians. Should you encounter any examples of physician-identifiable information, please report it to the Clinical Inquiry Support Unit at cisu@ahs.ca.

What are the initial priorities for the content certification process?
The focus early on is to certify content that is used for real-time clinical/operational decision-making. The following five areas have been identified as priorities: Emergency Departments, Operating Rooms, Capacity Management, Patient Safety and Launch Dashboards.

Where can I get more information?
If you are a Wave 1 user with questions about content certification, contact us at ConnectCare.WMCImplementationTeam@ahs.ca.

Meet our Connect Care Champions

Jasmine Tunnicliffe
IT senior analyst, Epic care ambulatory team

Jasmine wanted to be part of Connect Care’s development from the start. She and her team are currently testing the way the system is tailored to meet end users’ needs.

“I’m committed to making the project work. I’ll put the extra time in,” she says. “Everyone’s working really hard from the IT side to do the best we can. I want it to succeed because I think, as a Connect Care user and a person, it’s the right thing to do.”

Jasmine is one of over 250 analysts who are working to build and deploy Connect Care.

Meet our champions.

External: https://ahs.ca/connectcare
Insite: https://insite.ahs.ca/connectcare
Feedback: connectcare@ahs.ca