December 2025 eTips Newsletter
Tips and advice on EMRs and digital health tools you can use NOW
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Here’s what you’ll find in this month’s issue
From the CMO's Desk
Progress on Health Report Manager improvements
When Health Report Manager (HRM) was introduced in 2013, users embraced it – until the types of reports grew, generating large volumes that jammed EMR inboxes across the province. It's why we established the former HRM Task Force and the current HRM Improvement Recommendations Advisory Committee (HIRAC) to follow through on Task Force recommendations. Since then, we've launched the HRM Optimization Trial, working with hospitals and EMR vendors, to address duplicate, near match and PDF reports.
We also offered the ability to opt out of eNotifications. These are modest, but important improvements, that reflect our commitment to providing clinicians with digital health tools that work for them. We'll share news about more initiatives to help streamline reporting in the new year.
If you want to hear more about what's next on the horizon for HRM or other digital health tools, register for our Virtual Symposium and two-day Digital Health Conference with SUPER early bird pricing– for a limited time only! Look out for the call for abstracts to open in January.
Wishing you and yours a restful and healthy holiday season!
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AI Tools for Ontario Clinicians
Treat yourself to the gift of time with an AI scribe
This holiday season, give yourself, and your practice, the gift of reclaimed time with an AI scribe.
The Ontario AI Scribe Program makes it easier for you, with tangible benefits, such as time-saving legal due diligence, competitive pricing, and complimentary, comprehensive support. Get started today!
Missed last month's OMD Educates webinar?
View the recording of "Pyjamas are for sleeping: AI scribes and reclaiming the night".
Visit the OMD Practice Hub for the
Vendor of Record list,
program video, and
frequently asked questions on the Ontario AI Scribe Program.
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Tip from a Peer Leader
Customize your workflow with Accuro Quick Action Buttons
This month’s tip comes from
Dr. Harvey Blankenstein, OMD Peer Leader. Did you know you can personalize your Accuro Action Bar to streamline daily tasks? Use the Configure Actions tab to add shortcuts for clinical notes, forms, labs, and more — even custom actions like frequently used referral forms (MOH requisition forms for bloodwork, X-rays, and ultrasounds). Dock the Action Bar to the right, or bottom, of your screen for easy access and reduce clicks during the day.
Navigate: Start Menu > File > User Preferences > Display > Configure Actions
Read more details on Accuro Quick Action Buttons.
Here are some of Dr. Blankenstein's favourite quick action buttons:
If you'd like advice from a Peer Leader that is tailored to your clinic, please contact
peer.leader.program@ontariomd.com. Discover what our
Peer Leader Program and
Advisory Service can do for you.
OMD Peer Leaders comprise a network of over 55 physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and clinic managers. As expert users of OMD-certified EMRs and other digital health and virtual care tools, they work with our Advisory Service Team to help you with your EMR and digital workflows.
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Tips from an OMD Advisor
Helping clinicians identify patients transitioning from a biologic to a biosimilar drug
The Ontario government is expanding its drug coverage policy to further promote the use of biosimilars funded through the
Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) program. Patients on
Eylea®,
Xolair®, or
Actemra® must transition to a Health Canada approved biosimilar equivalent by
May 28, 2026, to maintain coverage under ODB, unless they have an approved medical exemption.
To help clinicians identify patients with prescribed products affected by the new biosimilar policy,
OMD collaborated with the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) to develop queries for Accuro® EMR, OSCAR Pro, and TELUS PSS.
OMD Advisors develop useful tools and provide valuable advice to clinicians anywhere in Ontario. They can help you with provincial digital health tools, not just EMRs. Take advantage of these services, at no cost to you, before calling anyone else! Contact support@ontariomd.com for assistance.
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Advice from the General Counsel and CPO
When an AI bot attends rounds with you: A privacy wake-up call
Clinicians are increasingly relying on digital tools to improve efficiency, reduce administrative burden, and enhance patient care. But a recent incident investigated by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) serves as an important reminder that technology—particularly AI—can introduce new risks to patient privacy. Last fall, an AI transcription tool, or bot, attended and recorded a virtual "rounds" meeting in an Ontario hospital, without the knowledge of participants. The AI bot then sent a summary and full transcript to the full list of meeting invitees, which included former hospital employees.
How did this happen? A former physician employee still included on the meeting invite list had installed an AI bot on a personal device. The tool automatically joined the meeting in their place, captured the discussion, and shared it broadly. It was an AI-driven, not human, action, highlighting how so-called
agentic AI systems can independently initiate tasks without prompting. The hospital notified the IPC of the privacy breach and took steps to contain the damage, directing staff to delete the unauthorized e-mails and remove transcription tools from devices. It also updated its AI policies, changing its firewalls to block access to similar platforms.
Take these steps to protect yourself and your patients:
Avoid using personal or unapproved apps (including transcription and AI-powered notetaking tools) during clinical discussion.
Audit your meeting lists and notify organizers about outdated or incorrect recipients.
Be alert to AI autonomy. If an app can "listen", "summarize", or "join" meetings for you, it may undertake certain unintended actions (including sharing of personal information).
Protecting patient privacy is not just a legal requirement – it is a core component of patient trust. As tools become more sophisticated it is important to truly understand and mitigate the risks.
Read more privacy and security tips from past issues of our newsletter
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HRM Improvements
Optimizing HRM, with less clutter
As part of our efforts to help clinicians reduce their administrative burden, during Summer 2025, we conducted the first phase of a pilot to identify duplicates, near duplicates and create an AI Summary of DI and MR reports, to highlight key information for receiving clinicians.
We continue to make progress on improving the HRM experience with our Optimization Trial. Phase 1 included the:
The ability to opt out of eNotifications (real-time electronic messages from hospitals when patients are discharged from an emergency department or admitted to or discharged from in-patient units)
Use of AI to identify duplicate reports and improve searchability of PDF reports
Many thanks for the invaluable clinician feedback received during Phase 1 of this first-of-its-kind trial to address what works, creates more burden, and is needed going forward. We will move forward with Phase 2 in 2026, with pilots focusing on:
Improving the quality of AI-generated report summaries and highlighting changes in information from previous reports
Offering the option to have patient information from duplicate reports posted directly into patient charts, avoiding EMR inboxes
We continue to work with health system partners to find the right solutions to reduce your report burden.
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OMD Digital Health Advocacy and Education
Upcoming events
Register for our Virtual Symposium and two-day Digital Health Conference with SUPER early bird pricing – for a limited time only! Look out for the call for abstracts to open in January.
The events offer something for everyone – physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, allied health professionals, administrative and clinic staff, and health system decision makers.
OntarioMD is proud to attend events across the province, connecting with clinicians and supporting the important work of Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) and Primary Care Networks (PCNs). If you're interested in having OntarioMD speak at your event or host a booth with our knowledgeable advisors, please reach out to us at
omd.events@ontariomd.com.
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OMD in the News
Recent media
Need Help with Your EMR?
Your EMR should be a
benefit, not a burden. In addition to our
OMD Advisory Service and
Peer Leaders, OMD has additional, COMPLIMENTARY resources to help you use your certified EMR better to save you time and frustration.
Find out how we can help you.
Join an
EMR Community of Practice (CoP)! CoP is a virtual place for EMR and digital health tool users, including clinicians and office staff, to share their knowledge, discover upcoming changes, ask questions and learn from the vendors and other users.
Find out more about OMD EMR Communities of Practice.
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Important Reminders
Changing Your EMR or Practice? OMD Needs to Know,
Especially for HRM!
Planning to make any of these changes?
Contact us at
support@ontariomd.com at least two (2) weeks in advance to ensure you continue to receive HRM reports.
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