Digital Update:

 

Online Appointment Booking

The FPN has secured and distributed Ministry funds to support practices to incorporate Online Appointment Booking (OAB). Many practices have used OAB to create specific appointment types and have timeslots available for patients to book their appointments online. Booking virtual or in-person appointments online serves to:

  • Reduce the rate of missed appointments and last-minute cancellations.

  • Control high call volumes and long phone wait times

  • Minimize scheduling gaps.

  • Increase ability to track booking trends.

  • Relieve overburdened front desk staff.

  • Enhance uptake of niche services offered by clinics.

This initiative wrapped up on March 31st, and the MWT-OHT supported 15 clinics to implement 148 live licenses, the highest number of clinics in the Toronto region.

Success stories

“Our clinic uses online appointment booking to book patients in our evening after-hours and weekend clinics. We set up the system on weekends to allow 3 pre-booked appointments, as required in our FHO agreement, and the rest of the schedule is open for walk-in patients. Patients find the link to book online appointments on our website. Only registered patients at our clinic can book online. The system works smoothly for us and helps to manage our after-hours bookings.”

Michelle Naimer,

Family Physician, Mount Sinai Academic Family Health Team

 

“With the pandemic, overdue pap smear numbers were mounting. Online appointment booking was a perfect tool for arranging pap smear clinics. We emailed patients a reminder which included an online booking link. Clinic appointments filled quickly (without admin staff involvement), and patient feedback was unanimously positive. An absolute success during very challenging times.”

Hedi Erenrich

Family Physician, Mid-West Toronto SCOPE Primary Care Lead.

 

“Our clinic initiated the process to start using Online Appointment Booking in November 2022.  The platform selection and onboarding was a bit of a bumpy road but we survived!  We now have 12 providers (9 MDs, 3 RNs) actively using Online Appointment Booking in our clinic.  The intensity of direct interaction with the platform varies between providers but everyone has expressed they have been pleased with the addition of Online Appointment Booking.  Patient feedback has been very positive.  Hopefully, patient and provider uptake within our clinic will continue to expand over time.”  

Megan Acsai,

Family Physician, Maple Leaf Medical Clinic

We just heard that there will be further funding for this initiative. Stay tuned for more information.

OCEAN e-Referral

Are you drowning? Do you feel burdened by filling in too many referral forms, downloading and uploading files, and managing patient appointments? Then, why not ride the OCEAN Wave?

OCEAN directly connects to specialists and services without you having to fill in another form, integrates with your EMR, and sends information directly to the patients you refer. 

Onboarding assistance is provided by the Connected Care team at UHN.

E-referral is the way of the future. So why wait to access this improved referral process?

At this time, many family physicians in our region have signed on to Ocean e-Referral. The next step is getting an adequate number of specialist office on board as “Receivers” of our referrals. Here is a list of the latest “Receivers” signed onto e-Referral to accept your referrals.

 

Hot off the Press: Services Now Available to you through Ocean eReferral

 

Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (UHN) now accepts referrals to its Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology and its Radiation Medicine Program. 

 

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre has brought on several services: 

  • Hip & Knee Rapid Access Clinics provide timely access to assessment, education, and treatment options for patients' joint problems. 

  • Schulich Heart Program offers innovative and comprehensive care for some of the most complex cardiac and vascular conditions.  

  • Odette Cancer Centre, a leading regional cancer treatment centre for Ontario, provides patients with optimal, evidence-based, and tailored treatment plans. 

 

Women's College Hospital brought on its Breast Centre, which offers comprehensive breast care. This includes:

  • Follow-up care for high-risk breast cancer patients (imaging/counseling/genetics/follow-up)

  • Surgical services (oncology, reconstruction, prophylactic, and more), and

  • Additional services like psychosocial, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. 

 

Kensington Health, located at 340 College Street (between Spadina and Bathurst), is pleased to announce that their Ambulatory clinics now accept eReferrals through Ocean for services, including 

 

The Family Practice Network is advocating to prioritize specialties and specialists who we most frequently refer to, to on board. We would like to start with GI, Dermatology, ENT and Rheumatology and need your help!

Your Chance to Contribute to Specialists on eReferral

Click here to let us know the names of community specialists you want to see on eReferral. We will approach them to get signed on as Receivers on the eReferral Platform.

To get on the OCEAN platform, email Nkem Obinyelaku (nobinyelaku@kensingtonhealth.org) for an introduction to the Ocean Team at UHN Connected Care.

(P.S. If you are with OSCAR- Indivicare and are interested in a letter to your software provider to speed up their adoption of OCEAN, please let us know by emailing Karen.Burke@uhn.ca)