eHealth Centre of Excellence

We’re excited to be part of the 5th annual KW4 OHT Clinician Summit! Stop by our booth to connect and discover how we’re working together with healthcare professionals to support innovative care solutions. This summit brings together an incredible audience of primary care, specialists, healthcare administrators, and Ontario Health representatives – a unique chance to share insights and strengthen our collaborative efforts. #KW4OHTSummit #PrimaryCare #OntarioHealth

Last week's Digital Health Week was truly inspiring and we are keeping the momentum going with today's attendance at the University of Waterloo #TechHorizonsExecutiveForum! eCE's Ted Alexander joins business leaders and industry experts for this informative day of learning and knowledge sharing.   Thank you to University of Waterloo and Vivek Goel for bringing industry partners together to shape the way we innovate responsibly using AI. Thank you to the panelists for sharing all of your insights: Dr. Amir-Hossein Karimi | John Weigelt | Dr. Mary Wells | Ozge Yeloglu

As we look back upon another successful Digital Health Week, we wanted to take an opportunity to thank our team for sharing about some of the exciting developments happening in the digital health landscape. Over the week, many of our team members took part in a series of interviews showcasing some of the groundbreaking tools and services that are transforming healthcare. From AI scribes to eReferrals and eConsults, to Evidence2Practice Ontario EMR tools and eCE Automates bots, we're excited to be supporting innovative solutions that improve patient care and streamline healthcare delivery. Our team has also been shining a spotlight on our services, including Change Management, Practice Facilitation, and Integrated Care Management, all designed to support healthcare providers as they navigate the ever-evolving digital health ecosystem. We're happy to let you know that these videos are all available on our YouTube channel here: https://loom.ly/NYBLgSw Finally, we wanted to thank all of you who engaged with us throughout the week and joined the #ThinkDigitalHealth conversation. Let's keep the discussion open and the ideas flowing!

'Reflections from the Field' is a new blog-style series where healthcare professionals share their perspective on various topics. As we close out Digital Health Week, we're excited to share a message from Kindra Murphy. "I truly never considered that my insights would be so well received by other clinicians. I had the pleasure of collaborating with Dr. Daniel Pepe during our recent Ideal Primary Care Practice Model webinar, where we discussed the ways that we’ve enhanced patient care and streamlined access to services in our medical clinics. What stood out most during our conversation was how we learned from each other, and the incredible value of networking and sharing innovative ideas. One key example from our discussion was the small yet impactful change Dr. Pepe implemented in his office just the week before the webinar. He began sending chest X-ray requisitions to patients who had been experiencing a persistent cough for several weeks. This simple adjustment allowed him to quickly rule out pneumonia and free up appointment slots for other patients, which in turn improved both efficiency and patient care. I was immediately inspired by this idea, so what did we do? We made a similar change in our clinic but took it a step further. We started sending urine culture requisitions to patients who call in with urinary tract infection (UTI) symptoms. As part of this new workflow, patients are either asked to come into the clinic at their convenience to provide a urine sample, or we email them a requisition for a local lab. And after gathering the patient’s symptoms, we alert the doctor to monitor for the results. These seemingly "small" changes have made a significant difference in our daily operations. They’ve not only saved valuable time in our schedules but have also led to quicker diagnoses and more effective treatments for patients. It really highlights how powerful it can be to share and implement ideas with colleagues. If I’ve learned anything from this experience, it’s that we should all be sharing our experiences. What you’re doing could significantly assist someone else, no matter how small and trivial you might think it is. Let’s all share with each other to help build an even better healthcare system. Don’t miss the eCE’s next Ideal Primary Care Practice Model webinar on December 3, 2024. For more information, visit https://loom.ly/dXqlDTY This next session promises to be full of insightful strategies and innovative ideas that can continue to improve the patient experience. We hope to see you there!" Kindra Murphy, Clinic Office Manager

Rounding out this year’s Digital Health Week with some reflections from Stephanie Dance, our Director of Partnerships, about how digital health positively impacted her own experience as she recently navigated the healthcare system. Love to hear from the patient’s perspective! #ThinkDigitalHealth

In our final video for this year's Digital Health Week, we’d like to share some thoughts from Charlotte N., Manager of Clinical Excellence and Partnerships, who has a unique perspective on change management and digital health due to her background as a Registered Practical Nurse in primary care: “As someone who has transitioned from frontline nursing to leading change management, I understand that adopting new digital health solutions in primary care can be challenging. It’s important to remember that we’re not just working with roles; we’re working with people who have their own experiences and ideas about how to do things. Often, there’s resistance to change, and that’s okay. We need to listen to and validate their concerns. Meet individuals where they are, and understanding their current position is a crucial part of our approach. But change management doesn’t stop there. Once we’ve heard and understood those frustrations, we can start to communicate the benefits of the changes we’re implementing. By demonstrating the qualitative and quantitative value of our work, we can show how these initiatives will ultimately enhance patient care. At the end of the day, it’s all about improving the experience for our patients as they navigate their healthcare journey. This is what drives me, and I’m passionate about making this transition as smooth as possible for everyone involved.” Thank you, Charlotte! #ThinkDigitalHealth

Did you know our change management team is our biggest team at the eCE? We take it very seriously! In celebration of Digital Health Week, we’re excited to share some insights on the importance of change management – this time from Change Management and Engagement Lead, Susanne Truelsen: "What often sets our team apart is that we really take the time to focus on making change about the people who will use the technology, rather than the technology itself. Our change management methodology is designed to support clinicians in adopting digital health tools in a way that fits seamlessly into their practices. At the end of the day, our ultimate goal is to enhance patient outcomes. While ‘patient outcomes’ is a broad term, it truly does encapsulate what we are working towards. To achieve this, we prioritize teaching clinicians how to use these technologies in meaningful and sustainable ways. It’s not just about implementing new tools; it’s about ensuring that clinicians feel confident and empowered to leverage them in their daily work in a sustainable way. By focusing on the human aspect of change, we can facilitate a smoother transition and help providers deliver better care, ultimately improving the experiences and outcomes for patients.” Thank you, Susanne! #ThinkDigitalHealth

Our recognition of Digital Health Week continues with some thoughts from one of our Business Analysts, Kathleen Wall, who supports the #Evidence2Practice Ontario program: "This year’s Digital Health Week provides an opportunity for us all to reflect on how digital health is creating new possibilities in our industry. With so much room for growth, our team at the eHealth Centre of Excellence recognizes that technology adoption is an active, collaborative process, and we’re dedicated to supporting clinicians along this journey. A good example of this can be found in the Evidence2Practice Ontario (E2P), which we co-lead alongside our partners the Centre for Effective Practice and North York General Hospital. E2P works with clinicians to develop tools that place best-practice information at their fingertips, embedding the latest evidence and standards directly into their workflows in ways that work for them. E2P solutions are designed to be easily accessible, intuitive, and adaptable to meet a wide range of patient care needs. It’s rewarding to be part of a program focused on making high-quality care more seamless and informed." Thanks, Kathleen! If you are a Digital Health Canada member, be sure to check out the webinar on E2P’s new COPD tool, coming up on Wednesday, December 4: https://lnkd.in/giFigG57 #ThinkDigitalHealth

Sharing some words from Kim Lynch, Director of the Ontario eServices Program, who had some things to say in reflection on Digital Health Week. Kim has lots of experience working within the digital health landscape, but she has been particularly inspired by our team’s ability to pivot to meet the needs of the clinicians we serve. Read on to learn more about our unique capacity for agile customizations! "The eHealth Centre of Excellence is quite unique – and a pioneer – in the digital health space. First and foremost, we are focused on improving the clinician and patient experiences and using technology as an enabler to achieve the goal of connected care. Reducing administrative burden for clinicians so they can spend more 1:1 time with patients is a key driver of our work. We are intent on respecting existing workflows, and in consultation with the care provider and their team, identifying ways their practice could be enhanced – and better connected – through the application of digital tools. We approach project management and change management from a holistic perspective. At the eCE it’s not about ‘deploying’ a tool or tools and walking away; rather it’s about understanding clinicians’ objectives, providing adoption and training supports, ensuring the change is happening at a pace that works for them, and sustaining that relationship for the long haul to make sure they are both comfortable with the change and that it’s helping them achieve their goals. We work to identify the gaps and offer bespoke solutions that fit specific needs, as exemplified by the innovative bots executed by eCE Automates team and the co-design activities of our Healthcare Experience and Advancement Lab (HEAL). We also ensure that what we are doing is having the right impact: our work is rooted in best practice, evaluation, and knowledge transfer, as demonstrated through our extensive data analysis expertise, case studies and research papers. We continue to successfully transform care delivery across the continuum of care by supporting clinicians and healthcare organizations (primary care, specialist care, hospitals, community health centres, community support services, etc.) through the delivery of digital health solutions, and I’m enormously grateful to have a role to play in enhancing our healthcare system." Thanks for sharing your perspective, Kim! #ThinkDigitalHealth

Did you know that we have supported 32 Ontario Health Teams across the province? This Digital Health Week, we’re showcasing Integrated Care Managers, who are dedicated to empowering Ontario Health Teams and healthcare facilities by embedding expertise where it’s needed most. Hear from Tiana McBride, Integrated Care Manager, and Tricia Wilkerson, Director of Integrated Care, about how this tailored and flexible approach is about far more than consulting – it’s about fostering change, supporting healthcare transformation, and creating lasting impacts on patient care through collaboration and shared knowledge. From Tiana McBride: “Our team is uniquely positioned to make a real impact. Each Integrated Care Manager brings clinical, digital, and change expertise to create an environment where innovation thrives. The knowledge we share with one another is astounding, and it’s that collective strength that empowers us to support each team in their own journey to improve healthcare. Also, it is worth adding that with an Integrated Care Manager embedded in your team, you gain the support of the entire eHealth Centre of Excellence network. That’s a huge bonus!” From Tricia Wilkerson: “We have a truly one-of-a-kind team of experts from the digital health field – a mix of clinicians, non-clinicians, change management specialists, practice facilitators, and quality improvement specialists. It’s exciting to bring this blend of skills to the table and watch the synergy unfold. Every day, we’re learning, collaborating, and growing together, which keeps us engaged and motivated to elevate healthcare delivery, not only across Ontario but across other provinces as well.” Thank you, Tiana and Tricia, for highlighting the value that our Integrated Care Management team is bringing to the Canadian healthcare system! #ThinkDigitalHealth