August 09, 2011

Online patient records enhancing care for 2 million Ontarians

eHealth Ontario invests $5M in ClinicalConnect

More people across the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant (HNHB) and Waterloo Wellington (WW) Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) now have access to better quality and more efficient health care.

Thanks to a five million dollar investment from eHealth Ontario, ClinicalConnect is expanding to better serve more patients in the WW and HNHB LHINs. Now, more than 2,500 health care providers, such as doctors, nurses and pharmacists in both LHINs can exchange secure patient information much faster.

ClinicalConnect, a secure online portal, allows health care providers to view patient information in one place. Available medical information includes hospital reports and lab results from 28 local hospitals and two Community Care Access Centres (CCACs), representing more than two million patients. With ClinicalConnect, timely and more informed patient care decisions can be made, and the need to repeat lab and diagnostic tests is reduced.

The funding announced today will also accelerate the use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) to improve patient care, safety and access. It also permits the province to leverage existing systems and investments to promote regional integration, a key element of eHealth Ontario’s strategy to build EHRs for all Ontarians by 2015. eHealth Ontario’s approach is to develop regional hubs to leverage local investments already in place or in progress.

Patients in the HNHB and WW LHINs frequently receive care across LHIN boundaries. ClinicalConnect was first implemented in the HNHB LHIN and was later expanded to the WW LHIN. Health care providers can now access and share patient medical information across LHIN boundaries, regardless of whether the patient was admitted to hospital in Hamilton or received a diagnostic test in Kitchener.

“eHealth Ontario is pleased to fund the expansion of ClinicalConnect. It will accelerate getting more secure patient information into the hands of front line health care providers in the Kitchener-Waterloo and Hamilton areas. Having comprehensive patient information in these regions contributes to developing electronic health records for all Ontarians by 2015.”
Greg A. Reed, President and CEO, eHealth Ontario

“The patients and health professionals who are benefitting from ClinicalConnect are bearing witness to Canada’s vision of placing vital patient information in the hands of authorized health care providers when they need it. We are proud to have invested $3.9 million in the Waterloo Wellington LHIN’s HEALTHeCONNECTIONS project, which supported the expansion of ClinicalConnect.”
-Richard Alvarez, President and CEO, Canada Health Infoway

“ClinicalConnect is making a real difference in the way health care is delivered in Hamilton. Our local health care professionals can now get integrated, real-time health information to deliver better care for our community. This type of collaboration is improving the quality of care for Hamiltonians.”
Hon. Sophia Aggelonitis, MPP Hamilton Mountain

“ClinicalConnect breaks down silos in our health care system by allowing patient information to move seamlessly across service providers. It has connected more than 2,500 health care professionals who now have the tools to make more informed decisions about patient care.”
Ted McMeekin, MPP Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale

“I am proud of our province’s investment in ClinicalConnect to help bring electronic health records to Waterloo Region. At its core, this new initiative is about enhancing the quality of health care for patients by providing physicians with access to real-time patient information.”
Hon. John Milloy, MPP Kitchener Centre

“ClinicalConnect is revolutionizing the way people in the HNHB and WW LHINs get their care. With access to real-time medical information about their patients, this portal helps health care providers make important care decisions for their patients on the spot.”
Donna Cripps, CEO, HNHB LHIN

“Having our hospitals and health care professionals connected electronically across two LHINs is a significant achievement. For the first time, a doctor in Cambridge can look up their patient’s diagnostic test results in Guelph, and discharge information for a hospitalization in Hamilton, in the same place online. This is great news for our health service providers in their efforts to improve access to care for local residents.”
Bruce Lauckner, CEO, WW LHIN

Quick Facts

• The patients of almost 600 more clinicians will benefit from the expansion of ClinicalConnect.
• ClinicalConnect Is part of eHealth Ontario’s strategy to leverage existing assets to accelerate patient care. The hospitals and Community Care Access Centres have all contributed time, energy and resources to make ClinicalConnect a reality. eHealth Ontario, Canada Health Infoway and the HNHB and WW LHINs also provided some funding and support.
• The approach includes three regional hubs:
  • GTA Hub - LHINs: Central, Central East, Central West, Mississauga Halton, Toronto Central, North Simcoe Muskoka
  • South West Ontario Hub - LHINs: Erie St. Clair, Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant, South West, Waterloo Wellington
  • North East Ontario Hub – LHINs: Champlain, North East, North West, , South East
• In the HNHB LHIN, 22 hospital sites, including the Juravinski Cancer Centre and the HNHB Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) can share information through ClinicalConnect.
• In the WW LHIN, six hospitals, the WW Community Care Access Centre and eight Family Health Teams have access to ClinicalConnect. Work is underway to add data from the Grand River Hospital and Grand River Regional Cancer Centre.

 

Learn More

Find out more about:

• ClinicalConnect
• Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant LHIN
• Waterloo Wellington LHIN

 

For more information:

Trish Nelson
Director, Communications & Corporate Services
HNHB LHIN
(905) 945-4930, ext. 4255
(866) 363-5446
trish.nelson@lhins.on.ca

Connie MacDonald
Communications Specialist and Coordinator
WW LHIN
(519) 650-4472, ext. 235
(866) 306-5446
connie.macdonald@lhins.on.ca

Dan Strasbourg
Director, Corporate Communications
Canada Health Infoway
(416) 595-3424
dstrasbourg@infoway-inforoute.ca

Nina Keitner
Communications Advisor
eHealth Ontario
(416) 946-4778
nina.keitner@ehealthontario.on.ca

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