Enhancing Patient Outcomes Through Seamless Healthcare Connectivity
2023-12-05
Cornwall
Community Hospital (CCH) is proud to announce that it is now facilitating the
secure two-way transfer of patient electronic health records with local
Long-Term Care (LTC) facilities throughout the City of Cornwall, the United
Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, and Akwesasne, thanks to the
Ontario eHub health information exchange system.
This seamless
digital connection between facilities is a first of its kind for the region and
ensures that important patient information is available to LTC staff within 30
minutes of discharge from the hospital, and vice versa, despite different
Electronic Health Record systems. This is creating enhanced communication
between providers and facilitating safer and more efficient transitions in
care, ultimately assisting in alleviating capacity pressures and contributing
to improved patient outcomes.
Dr. Ashley
Cook, Vice President of Medical Affairs at CCH and Medical Director at
Southbridge Cornwall, explains the transformative regional impact of the
Ontario eHub, saying “Hospitals and LTC facilities often use different
Electronic Health Record systems, which can cause issues and delays in sharing
important patient information such as health history, allergies, and
medications, relying heavily on paper records, phone calls, and even sometimes
family members or caregivers to relay important information. For the first
time, the Ontario eHub allows us to overcome the challenges posed by different
Electronic Health Record systems, ensuring that critical patient information is
available as accurately and soon as possible to healthcare providers involved in
the transition of care.”
The six local
LTC facilities currently connected with CCH through the provincial eHub system
are Glen Stor Dun Lodge, Lancaster Long Term Care Residence, Sandfield Place,
Southbridge Cornwall, St. Joseph’s Continuing Care Centre, and
Tsiionkwanonhso:te Long-Term Care Facility in Akwesasne. In March, the hospital
announced
that it had started sharing outbound patient records in a one-way connection
with these facilities as part of the project’s initial roll-out phase.
With these new
two-way connections established, work is now underway for the next phase of the
eHub roll-out, which will involve connecting regional acute care systems so
that hospitals with different electronic health records can share patient
information between each other, providing similar benefits for when patients
are transferred between hospitals for various acute care needs.
CCH has also
been working towards the launch of a new version of its MyChart™ patient
portal, tentatively scheduled for the early new year. The upgraded portal will
introduce innovative new features aimed at providing patients, families, and
caregivers with more comprehensive healthcare management tools and reminders,
in addition to the ability of viewing their hospital health records.
Guided by its 2022-2027 Strategic
Plan, CCH is prioritizing integration as a key element in innovative
healthcare transformation towards a more interconnected regional healthcare
system to better respond to the short and long-term needs of local patients.