New Cardiology EMR Specification Released in Ontario

November 8, 2017

New Cardiology EMR Specification Released
EMR Cardiology 1.0 Gives EMR Vendors Information They Need To Meet the Clinical Practice Needs of Ontario’s Cardiologists

Toronto, ON: OntarioMD and the Ontario Association of Cardiologists (OAC) are pleased to announce the release of EMR Cardiology 1.0 – Draft for Use, a set of functional and non-functional requirements that are fundamental and unique to an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) offering used by cardiologists.

EMR Cardiology 1.0 – Draft for Use embodies a minimum set of incremental requirements for inclusion in certified EMR offerings used by cardiologists to enhance cardiac patient care and clinical practice efficiency. The requirements, which complement those found in other Ontario EMR Specifications, fall into the following categories:

– Scheduling
– Billing
– Forms, Reports, Letters and Templates
– Device Integration
– Imaging
– EMR Training
– Workflow Management

EMR Cardiology 1.0 – Draft for Use is the culmination of more than two years of collaboration between OntarioMD and the OAC aimed at improving EMR products for cardiology practices across the province.

“Until now, Ontario’s cardiologists have had to individually customize and modify their EMR products, through extensive trial and error to meet their clinical practice needs,” said OAC President Dr. James Swan. “With the emergence of EMR Cardiology 1.0 Draft for Use, EMR vendors will now know what cardiologists require in an EMR product to improve patient care and run their practice efficiently. We hope vendors will take the opportunity to build these features into their products.”

The OntarioMD-OAC working relationship created a “win-win” solution for Ontario’s cardiologists, their patients, and Ontario vendors with certified EMR offerings. “We are very pleased with the end result of this collaboration with the OAC,” stated OntarioMD CEO Sarah Hutchison. “The EMR Cardiology 1.0 Draft for Use EMR Specification defines a consistent and repeatable set of requirements for EMR vendors deploying EMR solutions to Ontario’s cardiologists. It’s a solution that will not only lead to enhanced care for cardiac patients in Ontario, but can serve as a model for other specialties and jurisdictions.”

For more information about EMR Cardiology 1.0 – Draft for Use, please visit www.ontariomd.ca/emr-certification/specifications-and-validation/specifications/current#dfuor e-mail [email protected].You can also contact Tim Holman, OAC Executive Director at 416-487-0054 or [email protected].

About OntarioMD

OntarioMD is the leader in primary care digital health in Ontario and is a valuable system partner for other organizations who wish to implement their solutions to the primary care sector. It manages programs and services that connect physician practices that use certified EMRs to more patient data collected outside primary care settings. OntarioMD also supports Ontario’s physicians with practical advice from Peer Leaders and experienced Practice Advisors who help them optimize their EMR use to enhance patient care and achieve greater practice efficiency. The organization offers valuable, fully-accredited educational opportunities for physicians annually at the EMR Every Step Conference series.

Over 14,000 physicians are participating in OntarioMD services: Health Report Manager (HRM), eNotifications, Provincial eConsult Initiative, OLIS Deployment, EMR Physician Dashboard, Peer Leader Program, EMR Practice Enhancement Program, EMR Adoption Program. For more information about these services, please visit www.OntarioMD.ca

About OAC

The OAC is a voluntary professional organization that represents the majority of academic and community cardiologists in Ontario. Founded in 1995, the OAC exists to advocate for the protection and enhancement of patient access to cardiac care in Ontario and ensure that fair remuneration is provided for these services. For more information about the OAC, please visit: www.ontarioheartdoctors.ca.