The digital health landscape in Ontario has seen many changes to electronic medical records (EMRs), hospital information systems (HIS) and the tools that you use every day for patient care – all with the intention of making our healthcare system more connected.
Good intentions don’t always have their desired effect. When Health Report Manager (HRM) was first introduced in 2013, users embraced it – but as the number of report types grew (eNotifications, COVaxON reports, etc.), so did report volumes, jamming up EMR inboxes across the province.
It’s why we established the HRM Task Force and put together the HRM Improvement Recommendations Advisory Committee (HIRAC) to follow through on Task Force recommendations, starting with the ability to opt out of eNotifications. The numbers bear out the impression that opting out of eNotifications has been a game-changer. Consider this:
Let’s say it takes two minutes to open and review an eNotification. The total time it would take to review 75,000 eNotifications would be 150,000 minutes or 2,500 hours over eight months. The cumulative time saved is impressive – it can be used for patient care, a quick lunch or welcome break. ANY time saved from administrative work is valuable.
More Enhancements on the Way
OntarioMD (OMD) is taking more steps with hospitals and EMR vendors to improve the HRM experience by addressing the most pressing issues identified in the Task Force recommendations. Pilot initiatives are underway, with a limited group of users, to:
- Stop receiving COVaxON reports
- Identify duplicate and near match reports
- Improve how important information is highlighted in PDF reports
Updates on these pilots will be shared in the coming months.
Together with our partners, we’ll continue to optimize HRM reports so they remain a benefit, not a burden.
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