Published on 22 March 2023

There are now 16 weeks until the July EMR Phase 2.1 Go-Live and so I would like to provide an overview of the training requirements for all staff who currently use the EMR, and those who will commence using the EMR from the Go-Live.

Approximately 6,000 staff who work at the Western Health sites with EMR capability will undertake training in the EMR Phase 2.1 enhancements in the coming months.

The Executive team and I wish to pass on our thanks as you embark upon training, practicing and building your understanding of our enhanced EMR.  We are also most grateful to everyone involved in supporting staff to train and practice the new functionality, in particular our dedicated group of EMR Super Users and EMR Change Champions.

When does EMR Phase 2.1 WeLearn training start?

Staff training for the new EMR Phase 2.1 functionality will be available online in WeLearn from Monday 3rd April 2023.

Who needs to complete WeLearn training?

  1. All staff who work in the EMR Phase 2.1 key clinical areas will need to complete WeLearn training.

The EMR Phase 2.1 key clinical areas are:

  • Cancer Services
  • Emergency Medicine and Access
  • ICU and Critical Care
  • Perioperative and Anaesthesia
  • Specialist Clinics (including Community clinical documentation)
  • Women’s and Children’s
  1. Staff who currently use the EMR outside the EMR Phase 2.1 key clinical areas will have access to new EMR functionality with the Go-Live and so may also need to complete WeLearn lessons.

This will be determined by the following three questions.  Staff who answer yes to any of the following three questions will need to complete the associated lesson.

  • Do you need to review patient information in ED?
  • Do you need to complete passports to surgery?
  • Do your patients require enteral feeds?

The estimated time it will take to complete WeLearn training will be noted on each training package.

The WeLearn package does not need to be completed in the one session, it will be saved as you progress through it and can be returned to at a later time.

What steps do staff who work in an EMR Phase 2.1 key clinical area need to follow?

From 3rd April, follow these simple steps to get started:

  1. Login to WeLearn
  2. Search ’EMR Training Hub’
  3. From the menu, select your discipline, and then your area, before completing the required lessons

What steps do staff who currently use the EMR outside the EMR Phase 2.1 key clinical areas need to follow?

From 3rd April, follow these simple steps to get started:

  1. Login to WeLearn
  2. Search ’EMR Training Hub’
  3. From the menu, select your discipline

4. Select the All Other Areas option, as shown below.

5. You will then be asked the three questions listed earlier in this communication. Staff who answer yes to any of these questions will need    to complete the associated lesson.

When can we practice in the EMR practice environment?

Practicing what has been learnt in training will be immensely important to help further increase understanding. You will have access to the EMR practice environment via the EMR Super Users for your area.

Each weekday from 11th April to 2nd June a group of Super Users will attend classroom training.  At the end of each day, the group of Super Users who complete their classroom training (and have already completed their WeLearn training) will be given a guide to the EMR practice environment. This guide will include a login, training patient details, instructions on accessing and setting up the practice environment, suggested practice activities and a plan for sharing the login with their team.

This practice environment is not linked to the EMR system that is used in everyday work, and the patients in the practice environment are test ones, not real.  The system is refreshed every night so the test patients are re-set for more practice the next day.

What should I do if I feel I need further training or support?

Any staff member who completes their WeLearn lessons, but feels they need further support, is welcome to attend a face-to-face classroom training session with a Digital Health trainer for further assistance. Staff who prefer classroom training can also book into these face-to-face classroom training sessions. Please check with your manager before booking in.

This face-to-face classroom training will commence on 5th June 2023 and run for four weeks. Bookings for this classroom training will open in late-March and can be made by searching ‘EMR Face to Face Training’ in WeLearn. Sessions will be held at the Footscray, Sunshine, Williamstown and Sunbury sites.

These classroom training sessions are separate from the EMR Super User classroom training sessions.

Super User Training

Super User training will commence on 11th April and run for eight weeks. Thank you to the 450 Super Users who have already signed up for their face-to-face classroom training.

Any Super Users who have yet to book in for their classroom training can do so via the instructions in the Super User newsletter.

Staff are still welcome to join the Super User team.  Please discuss with your manager and then register as a Super User by completing this form.

Further information

The Digital Health Learning and Development team have created a short video to answer some frequently asked training queries.  You can view this video here.

For queries about EMR Phase 2.1 training please contact WHS-EMRTrainers@wh.org.au

For further information about EMR Phase 2, including the latest news, frequently asked questions and key Digital Health team contacts, please visit the Digital Health information site.

The start of EMR Phase 2.1 training is an important stage of this vital project, and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone learning the enhanced EMR workflows.

Thank you so much for your support.