March 2025 eTips Newsletter

Tips and advice on EMRs and digital health tools you can use NOW

From the CMO's Desk 

Early Bird Registration Open for the Digital Health Virtual Symposium

Join us at the OMD Educates: Digital Health Virtual Symposium on April 25, 2025, to discover the power of connections – with digital health visionaries, industry leaders, colleagues, and most of all, your joy in medicine!

This one-of-a-kind event offers digital health updates and Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits, all from the convenience of your home or office. This year's program features trending topics based on your feedback such as AI, cybersecurity, secure messaging, workflow improvements, and more.

Register by March 31, 2025 and save $70 with the $129.99 early bird rate.Get additional savings with group rates or bundled registration for our virtual symposium and in-person conference in September.

OHTs and PCNs are encouraged to sponsor clinicians in their areas to attend using the group rate. Can't make the date? You should still register for on-demand access to session recordings for up to 90 days after the symposium.

Coming soon – call for abstracts for our in-person conference on September 18-19, 2025! 

Maximize Your Digital Awareness

Save the Dates!

Advice from the General Counsel and CPO 

Privacy and Security Training for Your Clinic: The Best Defence Against Cyberthreats

OntarioMD's privacy and security training provides essential, tailored guidance to clinicians and administrative staff to meet your professional obligations and safeguard your patients' data. The training has been widely used across the province by almost 9,000 clinicians and support staff, with a 90% satisfaction rating. Some key features of the training are:

• No cost – our training is accessible to healthcare providers for free!
• Comprehensive content on a range of topics, including regulatory compliance, consent, virtual care, cybersecurity risks, and protecting personal health information (PHI).
• Physician-led, regulator-informed content tailored for Ontario's healthcare sector. Our training was developed with input from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the Canadian Medical Protective Association, the Ontario Medical Association, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario and Ontario Health, ensuring it meets the needs of healthcare providers.
• User tracking & completion certificates – upon completion of each module, users can print a proof of training certificate. This feature facilitates tracking of user progress and completion, which can also be shared with clinics for auditing/tracking purposes.
• CME credits (Mainpro+ & MOC) – earn while you learn!

 Read more privacy and security tips from past issues of our newsletter.

OMD AI News

OMD's Thought Leadership on AI Featured in Online Publication

Empowering Health: Model for Sustainable AI Implementation, an article authored by Executive Director, Partnerships and Stakeholders Simon Ling and Digital Health Research Lead Abbas Zavar, was featured in the eBook Series: Studies in Health Technology and Informatics by IOS Press eBooks on February 19.

Visit OMDAI.ca to learn more about AI scribes. 

HRM Improvements

We Heard You – Improvements to Your HRM Experience Have Begun!

We continue to follow through on the HRM Task Force recommendations to improve your HRM experience. We recently introduced the ability to opt out of eNotifications and have additional initiatives underway, with a group of limited users, to further reduce physicians' administrative burden on:

• Identifying duplicate and near match reports
• Introducing an informative, AI-generated cover page for PDF reports

Visit the OMD HRM Preference Management page for more information.

Want to know more about how HRM Task Force recommendations are being implemented? Check out the HIRAC (HRM Improvement Recommendations Advisory Committee) page.

Your HRM experience is important to us. We support you and your practice, at no cost, so don't hesitate to contact us at support@ontariomd.com with any questions about HRM or anything else digital.

OMD Advisory Service 

FREE Support Above and Beyond EMRs

If you use an OMD-certified EMR, you're entitled to free support from the OMD Advisory Service for more than just EMRs. This includes help with:

• Streamlining office workflows for smoother scheduling, referrals, consultations, etc.Streamlining
• Training your clinic and staff to integrate digital health tools (online appointment booking, secure messaging, AI scribe, etc.)
• Resolving EMR issues quickly
  
• Optimizing your EMR use to improve data quality and identify patient populations for preventive care
• Customizing EMR features like toolbars or forms, etc. to enhance efficiency

Take advantage of this free service before you call anyone else! Contact support@ontariomd.com for assistance. 

Tip from an OMD Advisor

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) New Requisition Forms Update

As of March 3, if you use an OMD-certified EMR, please ensure you use the new Ontario Health (CCO) – HPV & Cytology test requisition forms now available in your EMR. 

• TELUS PSS EMR users can download the requisitions from the TELUS PSS EMR Custom Forms Library.
• QHR ACCURO EMR users can download the requisitions from the 'Form Publisher' accessible through the EMR. Learn about downloading forms.
• OSCAR PRO EMR users will have the requisition eForms available in their EMR automatically. Visit the OSCAR PRO site for more details.

If you don't have the new requisitions and need assistance, please contact your EMR vendor or OMD at support@ontarioMD.com.

OMD Digital Health Services 

NEW! Access Ontario Digital Health Services from Your EMR

Clinicians need quick and easy access to patient information, which sometimes means having to view data outside your EMR. This can take time and disrupt workflows. This is why OMD, together with our digital health partners at the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health, has streamlined access to outside sources of patient data – with a convenient single sign-on from your OMD-certified EMR. Read more about how to access Ontario digital health services from your EMR..

OMD Education

Recent news and events

• Frontenac Lennox & Addington Ontario Health Team Summit (Feb. 5) Executive Director, Client Services and Engagement Cynthia MacWilliam shared tangible ways that OMD helps Ontario Health Teams (OHTs).
• The Future of Health Leadership, Informatics, and Policy Conference (Feb. 21) – Executive Director, Partnerships and Stakeholders Simon Ling addressed OMD's strategy for AI implementation in Ontario.
• Digital Health Canada ON25 Conference (Feb. 26) – CEO Robert Fox provided an update on current projects, innovations and strategies to enhance digital health, improve interoperability, and drive transformation.
• Interoperability in Healthcare: Breaking Down Silos to Improve Care, Canadian Healthcare Technology Magazine (Feb. 28) – Chief Medical Officer Chandi Chandrasena joined a roundtable discussion on interoperability as an essential component to delivering patient-centred care.
• Prepping for Rising Cyber Threats,The Medical Post Magazine (Mar. 5) – General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer Ariane Siegel was featured in an article on the value of cybersecurity insurance.

What's coming up

• The Rotary Club of Toronto (Mar. 21) – CEO Robert Fox will speak on leveraging digital health to unite our healthcare system.
• 74th Annual Refresher Course for Family Physicians (Apr. 10-11) – Chief Medical Officer Chandi Chandrasena will discuss the benefits of AI in medicine.  

Partner News

Calling all Mississauga and South Etobicoke Doctors! Join the Mississauga Health Primary Care Network

The Mississauga Health Primary Care Network (MH PCN) invites primary care doctors to join the MH PCN and connect with over 700 providers in Mississauga and South Etobicoke. As a member, you'll gain access to:

• Peer Support & Collaboration: Connect via our private WhatsApp group and access educational resources.
• Learning Opportunities & Resources: Enjoy a $260 self-learning program from the College of Family Physicians at no cost!
• Digital Tools: Access mentorship, practice facilitation support, and exclusive tools.
• Reignite Your Passion: Collaborate with health organizations and improve patient care.

Membership is FREE! Click here to join. For more information, contact Pragina Sivarajah at mhprimarycarenetwork@gmail.com.

Centre for Effective Practice

Use AI Effectively in Practice. Discover how artificial intelligence is transforming primary care: the Centre for Effective Practice's AI Learning Centre offers resources designed to help you build confidence in using AI tools ethically and effectively.

What's New?Cheat Sheets: concise, targeted, shareable resources on AI topics relevant to primary care. Developed on a rolling basis, they are aligned with messaging from key partners like OMA and OntarioMD, providing practical guidance for safe, effective AI integration.

Need Help with Your EMR? 

Your EMR should be a benefit, not a burden. In addition to our OMD Advisory Service and Peer Leaders, OMD has additional resources to help you use your certified EMR better to save you time and frustration.

OMD develops tools and suggests helpful workflow improvements in our EMR Lab.

Join an EMR Community of Practice (CoP)! CoP is a virtual place for EMR and digital health tool users, including clinicians and office staff, to share their knowledge, discover upcoming changes, ask questions and learn from the vendors and other users. Find out more about OMD EMR Communities of Practice. 

Important Reminders

Changing Your EMR or Practice? OMD Needs to Know!

Planning to make any of these changes?

• Moving, joining or taking over a practice
  
• Changing your internet plan or provider
  
• Changing EMRs
  

Contact us at support@ontariomd.com at least two (2) weeks in advance to ensure you continue to receive HRM reports.