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July 2025 eTips Newsletter

Digital Health eTips 


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

Unlock the Future of Practice:
Why You Can’t Miss This Year’s OMD Digital Health Conference (Thursday, September 18 & Friday, September 19)

The OMD Digital Health Conference is more than just an event—it's where the future of practice takes shape. Designed specifically for physicians, NPs, and community clinics, this annual gathering delivers the latest in digital health innovations, practical tools, and real-world strategies to help you streamline your workflow, enhance patient care, and reduce administrative burden.

This year's conference features sessions on game-changing technologies like AI-powered clinical tools (including AI scribes), digital health integration, and cybersecurity—plus hands-on demos, peer one-to-one sessions, and direct access to experts. Whether you're tech-savvy or just starting your digital health journey, you'll walk away with tangible solutions you can apply in your practice the very next day and it is CME accredited. This year's conference program overview is now available!

Most importantly, it's a chance to connect with colleagues across the province, learn what's working in real-world clinical settings, and shape the conversation around the digital future of care. Register today to take advantage of Group Rates and Early Bird pricing (this pricing is only available until July 31, 2025!) 

OMD Educates: Digital Health Conference

Rebooting Your Practice – The Digital Advantage

September 18 and 19 at theToronto Congress Centre

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Ontario AI Scribe Program

Considering an AI Scribe? What You Need to Know before You Sign on the Dotted Line

This month's tip comes from Dr. David Barber, the Chair of the Section for General and Family Practice:

The Ontario AI Scribe Program established by the Ministry of Health provides clinicians with a streamlined path to adopt an AI scribe, saving time doing your own research, and removing the risk that early adopters (before the program was available) had to take.

The program's Vendor of Record (VOR) process ensures medical-legal protection, offers trusted solutions at a fair price leveraging group discounts, and free support from OMD. This allows more clinicians to benefit from the tools to enhance patient care and their professional satisfaction. Contracts already signed directly with a vendor or through your EMR do not give you these important program benefits. Find out which vendors are on the VOR list and start the 2-step process to participate in this program.  

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Tip from a Peer Leader

OMD Peer Leaders comprise a network of over 50 physicians (family doctors and other specialists), 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, digital tools and digital workflows. Discover what our Peer Leader Program and Advisory Service can do for you.

New Roster Reconciliation Tool

Peer Leader Dr. Kevin Brophy and his colleague Dr. Alex Duong developed a Microsoft Excel-based tool that will enable you to easily compare your EMR-generated patient list to the latest Ministry of Health roster report. Use it to identify gaps in your rostering. The tool will help you manage the care of patients who may have fallen off your roster and optimize income. 

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Tip from an OMD Advisor 

Our team of digital health advisors are experts in change management, EMRs and clinic workflows, with extensive experience helping physicians streamline care. This tip comes from one of our trusted advisors, who works directly with practices in your area and is ready to support you too — contact an OMD Advisor.

New OMD EMR Template Letters for Responding to Dentists' Requests

Physicians often receive requests from dentists regarding shared patients. The OMA worked collaboratively with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and the Royal College of Dentists and Surgeons of Ontario to identify the expectations for both physicians and dentists related to medical clearance for a dental procedure, medication questions and ordering tests. Access the new OMD EMR letter Accuro® templates and TELUS PSS stamps. 

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Advice from the General Counsel and CPO

Ctrl+Alt+ Delete It: Why Old Records Still Deserve Your Attention

Most health information custodians and their clinics are now using Electronic Medical Record systems which store patient records.  However, questions continue to arise with respect to how to manage older paper charts, archived files, or outdated data. Recent events have shown how important it is for clinics to have a plan for securely disposing of these documents when they're no longer needed.

While it may seem simple, tossing away or improperly tearing or shredding old records can put patients' privacy at risk and expose you or your clinic to reputational damage. Under the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), physicians have a duty to securely dispose of patient records once their retention period ends. It's not enough to keep health records secure only while they're in use. Instead, every practice needs to have in place clear, documented processes, policies, and training for staff on how long records are kept and how they can be securely destroyed. These processes include shredding, secure bins, or full digital deletion. Without these types of policies and procedures in place, deleting records can amount to a privacy breach if done improperly.

If you're reviewing your clinic's recordkeeping practices, it may be useful to  take stock of your records! OntarioMD's Privacy and Security Training also includes practical tips on records retention and disposal, and other ways to keep your clinic's data management and privacy practices up-to-date, informed, and secure. 

By following these tips, and learning more on our Practice Hub's Legal & Privacy Page, you can take a strong, proactive approach to PHIPA compliance to protect patient data and maintain integrated privacy and security when adopting AI tools into your practice!

Read more privacy and security tips from past issues of our newsletter 

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HRM Improvements

More Users Opting Out of eNotifications

A growing number of clinicians who use HRM are opting out of receiving eNotifications to reduce their inbox and report review burden. Read our blog post to get an appreciation of how much time clinicians are saving by opting out.

Want to know more about how HRM Task Force recommendations are being implemented?

Check out the HIRAC (HRM Improvement Recommendations Advisory Committee) page.

Your HRM experience is important to us. We support you and your practice, at no cost, so don't hesitate to contact us at support@ontariomd.com with any questions about HRM or anything else digital. 

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OMD Digital Health Advocacy and Education 

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.

Recent events

  • George Brown College (Toronto, July 11): Can digital health unite our health care system? OMD's CEO Robert Fox spoke about innovations for primary care in Ontario.
  • Canadian Urologist Association Annual Meeting (Ottawa, June 29): OMD's CMO, Dr. Chandi Chandrasena spoke on a panel about the use of AI in specialist clinics: Leveraging AI to enhance efficiency, clinical decision-making, and patient experiences.
  • TECHNATION Health Webinar (June 26): Robert Fox, CEO, and Chris Sulway, Chief of Strategy presented From Vision to Velocity: OntarioMD's Digital Leap in Primary Care, sharing OMD's bold strides in AI integration, digital optimization, and strategic partnerships, including the launch of the Ontario AI Scribe Program.
  • Digital Health Canada Webinar (June 25): AI Meets Primary Care: Redefining the Future of Practice. Chris Sulway, Chief of Strategy, OMD was joined by Dr. Onil Bhattacharyya and Dr. Payal Agarwal of WIHV on a panel discussing alignment of AI technology with clinical needs, and how to scale solutions for broad adoption.

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OMD in the News

Recent media 

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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.

OMD develops tools and suggests helpful workflow improvements in our EMR Lab.

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?

  • Moving, joining or taking over a practice

  • Changing your internet plan or provider

  • Changing EMRs

Contact us at support@ontariomd.com at least two (2) weeks in advance to ensure you continue to receive HRM reports.