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Health Report Manager (HRM®) Preference Management Expansion

Information for Participants

OntarioMD (OMD) is committed to reducing your administrative burden and improving your experience with HRM. To reduce the number of reports delivered to your EMR, we are pleased to offer HRM users the opportunity to manage their eNotifications preferences by providing them with the ability to opt-out of receiving eNotifications. The initiative supports the recommendations of the HRM Task Force to reduce report volumes. This initiative is limited to eNotifications and the lessons learned will help OMD assess the impact of opting out of receiving other report types in the future. 

This preference management initiative will begin on Friday, December 6, 2024, opening up to all HRM users.

If you are interested in participating: 

  1. Submit an Expression of Interest Form to opt out of receiving eNotifications through HRM
    • Submit your name, license number, and email address to express your interest in participating.
    • If you are completing this form on behalf of a clinician, please ensure the email address entered is that of the clinician requesting to turn off eNotifications. Confirmation will be required directly from the clinician, and generic email addresses cannot be accepted.
  2. Watch for an email from support@ontariomd.com
  3. Respond to verify your request
  4. Receive confirmation that eNotifications have been turned off
    • Once your request has been processed, you will receive confirmation via email.

Background

HRM is a provincial digital health solution that electronically delivers patient health reports from hospitals and specialty clinics to community clinicians across Ontario.

Since 2014, HRM has also been delivering eNotifications, which are near real-time electronic alerts from participating hospitals that notify clinicians when:

  • A patient has been discharged from an emergency department, or
  • A patient has been admitted to or discharged from an in-patient unit.

These eNotifications appear in clinicians' EMR system just like other HRM reports. In addition to these alerts, clinicians continue to receive discharge summaries and other hospital reports, meaning they often receive both an eNotification and a discharge summary for the same patient event.

The HRM Task Force identified report volume as a significant pain point for clinicians, contributing to administrative burden and frustration. While eNotifications were designed to provide timely updates, some clinicians have expressed concerns about the added volume of reports, noting that the information in eNotifications may overlap with other reports they receive. Approximately 50% of surveyed clinicians indicated that they would opt out of eNotifications if given the option.

In July 2024, OntarioMD launched the first round of eNotifications Opt-Out, offering 110 clinicians the opportunity to manage their preferences for receiving eNotifications. The pilot was well-received, with participants reporting a reduction in report clutter and administrative burden. Due to the significant interest expressed in continuing this initiative, OMD is now provincially expanding this offering a second round to provide all HRM users the chance to opt out of receiving eNotifications via HRM. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What exactly are eNotifications, and what are they not?

eNotifications are quick alerts notifying you of patient admissions, discharges, or transfers.
They are not: 

  • Discharge summaries
  • Consultation reports
  • Any other medical record or diagnostic imaging results 

The above reports will continue to be delivered to your EMR through HRM as usual, even if eNotifications are turned off. 

How do I know if I am currently receiving eNotifications?

If you are unsure whether you are currently receiving eNotifications, visit the OntarioMD Sending Facilities website. 

  • Search for your local hospital(s) on the list of sending facilities.
  • If your hospital has eNotifications turned on, this will be indicated by a green check in the rightmost column. This is a strong indication that you are likely receiving eNotifications from that hospital through HRM. 

Can I still receive eNotifications for specific patients or from specific hospitals during the pilot?

No, once you decide and confirm your decision to opt-out of receiving eNotifications, you will not receive them for any patients or from any hospitals. In future phases, OMD will explore the capability to manage eNotifications preferences across specific patients and hospitals. Requested change will be universa if you use HRM at multiple locations. 

Since I will no longer receive eNotifications in near real time, how long do I have to wait for the discharge summary?

When eNotifications are turned off, you will continue to receive discharge summaries as you normally would, typically within 24 to 48 hours after the patient's discharge. While eNotifications and discharge summaries may contain similar information, they are distinct report types. 

  • eNotifications provide a quick, real-time alert of a patient’s status change (e.g., admission or discharge). 
  • Discharge summaries offer a more detailed clinical report of the patient’s treatment and follow-up plan. 

How do I turn off eNotifications?

To turn off eNotifications, you will need to:

  1. Submit an Expression of Interest Form.  If you are completing this form on behalf of a clinician, please ensure the email address entered is that of the clinician requesting to turn off eNotifications. Confirmation will be required directly from the clinician, and generic email addresses cannot be accepted.
  2. We will contact the clinician via email to confirm the request. 
  3. Once the request is confirmed, eNotifications will be turned off.

How can I resume receiving eNotifications after turning them off?

You can turn eNotifications back on at any time by emailing support@ontariomd.com. Please include your full name and license number in your email so we can correctly identify your profile and process your request.

Where can I get more information about HRM?

More information is available on the HRM page of OntarioMD.ca.