On Wednesday 29^th November changes to printing and previewing a document from the EMR came into effect.  Please click here to view the one minute video ‘Printing a document on EMR’.

The Bacchus Marsh Melton (BMM) Digital Health Transition Project is extending the functionality which is used to document and manage patient care at Western Health’s Footscray, Sunshine, Williamstown and Sunbury sites to the BMM sites to aid the flow of healthcare information across the organisation and support seamless, safe and effective care.

Work on the Digital Health extension has been underway for quite some time and the transition of numerous applications has already occurred over the first stage of the project.

We are now in an exciting phase where work is underway on the second stage of the project which involves, but is not limited to, the following:

• The extension of the current Western Health Electronic Medical Record (EMR), the primary application for managing patient care information across Western Health
• Replacing BMM CPF with Western Health BOSSnet for scanned medical records
• Transitioning BMM iPM to the Western Health iPM as a unified patient administration system

“Introduction to the EMR” drop in sessions

“Introduction to the EMR” Drop-in Sessions have been scheduled on site at Bacchus Marsh and Melton over four weeks from 15th January to 9th February 2024

These in-person sessions will introduce the basic functions of the EMR to staff who have never used the EMR before and are an optional first step in the EMR learning journey, before the in-depth training sessions. The sessions are general and apply to all staff who will be using the EMR.

Each week, the EMR Training team will focus on different features of the EMR.  We completely understand that everyone’s availability will be different, so there are two sessions offered every day so you can attend the time that suits you best.  Attendance at any session, in any week, will be a helpful introduction to the EMR. There’s no need to book in advance, simply turn up and register on the day!

We look forward to you joining us at these sessions. For more information, please email the EMR trainers at WHS-EMRTrainers@wh.org.au

Introduction to the EMR – Drop-In Session Schedule

BMM Technology enhancements

Works to increase the power and data capacity at Western Health’s BMM sites have now been completed.

In addition, new monitors are being deployed across all BMM sites during November and December, providing a second monitor in preparation for the EMR as well as replacing some older monitors.

For more information on the Bacchus Marsh Melton Digital Health Transition Project, please visit the dedicated project page on the Digital Health information site.

Recruitment is now underway for the BMM Super User team who will be vital in providing support in the lead-up to and throughout the 2024 Go-Live.  Further information for BMM staff can be found on the BMM Digital Health Transition site.

We’re also hoping some of our wonderful Super Users from other Western Health sites may be keen to join the BMM Super Users and help with supernumerary shifts onsite at Bacchus Marsh or Melton during the Go-Live period.

We’ll put out an official call for support, along with further information including the timeline, via the January 2024 edition of this newsletter.  For now, if you are an existing EMR Super User we’d be grateful if you could consider if this is something you might like to put your hand up for, and perhaps have an initial chat with your manager.

Patient engagement and the patient’s ability to self-manage care will be significantly enhanced with the implementation of a Western Health Patient Portal.  Through this, a patient will be able to view health care details including upcoming appointments and recent test results.

The rollout of the Patient Portal will commence with a pilot in the Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Antenatal Clinics starting in early 2024.  Feedback from the staff and patients participating in this pilot will be valuable in informing any necessary enhancements before the commencement of a wider rollout.

The Patient Portal will only be available in areas when the support resources for clinical teams have been put in place.

The Western Health Patient Portal will make it easier for patients to be more connected to important information about their care and treatment, and by empowering our patients with this information we can help to improve, promote and protect the health of our community.

The Digital Health Team consists of two groups, the Project Team, and the Operations Team who are responsible for ensuring the EMR is operating with the latest and most secure code level, who action requests for updates to the EMR and who action requests for EMR support lodged via the DTS Service Desk.

This year, the Digital Health Operations Team resolved 4,997 updates and requests for support between January and November 2023.  This is a significant increase on previous years and was expected as many new staff have commenced using the EMR this year.

Following the recent decision by myBeepr to decommission their platform, Slack is now available as a secure messaging tool for staff.

Staff can use Slack to communicate through text messaging, create private chats or channels, and have voice and video calls. All content, including files, conversations, and people, are searchable within Slack, and staff can organise their chat groups by topic.

Slack is a useful communication tool, however it is important that staff continue to comply with the relevant policies and privacy guidelines with regards to the information that is shared.  Conversations on Slack which include UR numbers and patient details constitutes health information.  As such, disclosure of patients’ health or personal information on Slack will be subject to the same legislative requirements as the patient’s medical record or internal emails that contain health information.

To sign up and commence using Slack, or to view the Slack guidelines please visit the Digital Health information site.

For further information please contact Deputy Chief Medical Informatics Officer, Dr Ann Boo – Ann.Boo@wh.org.au or Senior Clinical Informatics Medical Officer, Dr Adrian Sukri – Adrian.Sukri@wh.org.au

With the introduction of the EMR, patient information is more accessible to support our provision of Best Care.

However, staff are reminded that you are only authorised to access patient information when it is necessary for the conduct of professional duties.

Accessing patient information unnecessarily is illegal.

To fulfil legal obligations and commitments to our patients, Western Health conducts regular audits of medical record access to ensure access is appropriate.

Substantiated unauthorised access will result in disciplinary action.

Thank you for continuing to respect the privacy of patient information.

EMR Training Queries  – contact the Digital Health Learning & Development Team: WHS-EMRTrainers@wh.org.au

Super User Queries – contact the EMR Change team: Kirby.ocallaghan1@wh.org.au

Key Digital Health Team Contacts – visit the Key Contacts page on the Digital Health information site.

A reminder the Digital Health information site is the central source of EMR and Digital Health information, including the latest news and updates, Quick Reference Guides and other support materials.

On Wednesday 29^th November changes to printing and previewing a document from the EMR came into effect.  Please click here to view the one minute video ‘Printing a document on EMR’.

The Bacchus Marsh Melton (BMM) Digital Health Transition Project is extending the functionality which is used to document and manage patient care at Western Health’s Footscray, Sunshine, Williamstown and Sunbury sites to the BMM sites to aid the flow of healthcare information across the organisation and support seamless, safe and effective care.

Work on the Digital Health extension has been underway for quite some time and the transition of numerous applications has already occurred over the first stage of the project.

We are now in an exciting phase where work is underway on the second stage of the project which involves, but is not limited to, the following:

• The extension of the current Western Health Electronic Medical Record (EMR), the primary application for managing patient care information across Western Health
• Replacing BMM CPF with Western Health BOSSnet for scanned medical records
• Transitioning BMM iPM to the Western Health iPM as a unified patient administration system

“Introduction to the EMR” drop in sessions

“Introduction to the EMR” Drop-in Sessions have been scheduled on site at Bacchus Marsh and Melton over four weeks from 15th January to 9th February 2024

These in-person sessions will introduce the basic functions of the EMR to staff who have never used the EMR before and are an optional first step in the EMR learning journey, before the in-depth training sessions. The sessions are general and apply to all staff who will be using the EMR.

Each week, the EMR Training team will focus on different features of the EMR.  We completely understand that everyone’s availability will be different, so there are two sessions offered every day so you can attend the time that suits you best.  Attendance at any session, in any week, will be a helpful introduction to the EMR. There’s no need to book in advance, simply turn up and register on the day!

We look forward to you joining us at these sessions. For more information, please email the EMR trainers at WHS-EMRTrainers@wh.org.au

Introduction to the EMR – Drop-In Session Schedule

BMM Technology enhancements

Works to increase the power and data capacity at Western Health’s BMM sites have now been completed.

In addition, new monitors are being deployed across all BMM sites during November and December, providing a second monitor in preparation for the EMR as well as replacing some older monitors.

For more information on the Bacchus Marsh Melton Digital Health Transition Project, please visit the dedicated project page on the Digital Health information site.

Recruitment is now underway for the BMM Super User team who will be vital in providing support in the lead-up to and throughout the 2024 Go-Live.  Further information for BMM staff can be found on the BMM Digital Health Transition site.

We’re also hoping some of our wonderful Super Users from other Western Health sites may be keen to join the BMM Super Users and help with supernumerary shifts onsite at Bacchus Marsh or Melton during the Go-Live period.

We’ll put out an official call for support, along with further information including the timeline, via the January 2024 edition of this newsletter.  For now, if you are an existing EMR Super User we’d be grateful if you could consider if this is something you might like to put your hand up for, and perhaps have an initial chat with your manager.

Patient engagement and the patient’s ability to self-manage care will be significantly enhanced with the implementation of a Western Health Patient Portal.  Through this, a patient will be able to view health care details including upcoming appointments and recent test results.

The rollout of the Patient Portal will commence with a pilot in the Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Antenatal Clinics starting in early 2024.  Feedback from the staff and patients participating in this pilot will be valuable in informing any necessary enhancements before the commencement of a wider rollout.

The Patient Portal will only be available in areas when the support resources for clinical teams have been put in place.

The Western Health Patient Portal will make it easier for patients to be more connected to important information about their care and treatment, and by empowering our patients with this information we can help to improve, promote and protect the health of our community.

The Digital Health Team consists of two groups, the Project Team, and the Operations Team who are responsible for ensuring the EMR is operating with the latest and most secure code level, who action requests for updates to the EMR and who action requests for EMR support lodged via the DTS Service Desk.

This year, the Digital Health Operations Team resolved 4,997 updates and requests for support between January and November 2023.  This is a significant increase on previous years and was expected as many new staff have commenced using the EMR this year.

Following the recent decision by myBeepr to decommission their platform, Slack is now available as a secure messaging tool for staff.

Staff can use Slack to communicate through text messaging, create private chats or channels, and have voice and video calls. All content, including files, conversations, and people, are searchable within Slack, and staff can organise their chat groups by topic.

Slack is a useful communication tool, however it is important that staff continue to comply with the relevant policies and privacy guidelines with regards to the information that is shared.  Conversations on Slack which include UR numbers and patient details constitutes health information.  As such, disclosure of patients’ health or personal information on Slack will be subject to the same legislative requirements as the patient’s medical record or internal emails that contain health information.

To sign up and commence using Slack, or to view the Slack guidelines please visit the Digital Health information site.

For further information please contact Deputy Chief Medical Informatics Officer, Dr Ann Boo – Ann.Boo@wh.org.au or Senior Clinical Informatics Medical Officer, Dr Adrian Sukri – Adrian.Sukri@wh.org.au

With the introduction of the EMR, patient information is more accessible to support our provision of Best Care.

However, staff are reminded that you are only authorised to access patient information when it is necessary for the conduct of professional duties.

Accessing patient information unnecessarily is illegal.

To fulfil legal obligations and commitments to our patients, Western Health conducts regular audits of medical record access to ensure access is appropriate.

Substantiated unauthorised access will result in disciplinary action.

Thank you for continuing to respect the privacy of patient information.

EMR Training Queries  – contact the Digital Health Learning & Development Team: WHS-EMRTrainers@wh.org.au

Super User Queries – contact the EMR Change team: Kirby.ocallaghan1@wh.org.au

Key Digital Health Team Contacts – visit the Key Contacts page on the Digital Health information site.

A reminder the Digital Health information site is the central source of EMR and Digital Health information, including the latest news and updates, Quick Reference Guides and other support materials.