June 2025 eTips Newsletter
Tips and advice on EMRs and digital health tools you can use NOW
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From the CMO's Desk
The Ontario AI Scribe Program:
Created by Clinicians, for Clinicians
I'm thrilled to see high interest among my medical peers for using AI scribe technology in your practices.
The Ontario AI Scribe Program launched on June 3. The program was established by the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health to make it easier and safer for you to adopt an AI scribe.
Supply Ontario worked with Ontario Health and OntarioMD to develop the requirements for the AI scribe vendors with respect to clinical functions, privacy and data security and other medico-legal considerations. OntarioMD is also providing complimentary change management advice to clinicians to integrate AI scribes efficiently into their practices.
I'd like to address some of the questions that we've received after the VOR was published:
Why is my vendor not on the list?
If you are using an AI scribe and your vendor is not on the program's VOR list, it is because either:
- The vendor did not apply, or
- The vendor did not meet the program's privacy, clinical or technical requirements.
Of note, vendor location was
not a requirement (i.e. vendors were not disqualified if they were not Canadian).
Why consider the Ontario AI Scribe Program?
- Clinical requirements
developed by clinicians for clinicians' needs
- Pre-vetted vendors whose products meet the established requirements for clinical function, privacy, security and other legal considerations
- Discounted pricing: Better than what you'd get on your own or in a group
- Free change management supports from OntarioMD to help you adopt and use an AI scribe efficiently
- Vetted contracts minimizing exposure to risk
- All clinicians have access to the program: family physicians, other specialists, NPs, social workers, counsellors and others
Want to learn more?
We’re making it easier to bring AI scribes into your practice, safely, with vetted contracts and the support you need.
2025 Digital Health Conference
- Thursday, September 18 and Friday, September 19, 2025
- Toronto Congress Centre
- New sessions on digital health for community practices (family physicians, specialists, NPs and their clinic staff)
- Content specifically for OHTs and PCNs: a must for digital leads and clinical leads, and anyone involved in digital health
- Group rates and early bird rates
- CME-accredited for physicians
- Meet all your vendors under one roof
- A great opportunity to network with your colleagues and industry leaders
OMD Advisory Service
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.
Did you know you can create EMR reminders for COPD patients (and all patients)?
For instance, for COPD patients eligible for Smoking Cessation Counselling, flu immunization or pneumococcal immunization, you can set up their patient-specific reminders in your EMR.
These follow-up reminders, or reminders to offer interventions, display as visual cues or messages within the patient chart during the patient encounter. They can also be tracked through periodic reports—helping you stay on top of care opportunities with ease.
Learn how to create reminders in your EMR
Advice from the General Counsel and CPO
The Ontario AI Scribe Program
The OMD team was pleased to help lead the legal and regulatory evaluation of AI scribes in Ontario and support the development of requirements for the Ontario AI Scribe Program.
- Supply Ontario established the AI Scribe Vendor of Record (VOR) arrangement through a rigorous, open, and competitive procurement process.
- This comprehensive evaluation considered a wide range of criteria, including technical, clinical, legal, and business requirements, as well as critical privacy and security considerations.
- OntarioMD sought input from a variety of stakeholders including medical associations and regulators. The OMA and the CMPA, among others, were organizations that provided feedback. This assisted the process to develop requirements and contracts to align with medico-legal obligations of physicians.
Supply Ontario's
Vendor of Record list includes vendors who have met the requirements set out in the procurement process. This approach was designed to ensure that qualified vendors will deliver exceptional value and service to Ontario clinicians.
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
OMD AI News
Recent media spreading the news about the Ontario AI Scribe Program
Visit the OMD Practice Hub to learn more about AI scribes
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.
Events coming up
-
Digital Health Canada Webinar (June 25 from noon to 1:00 pm):
AI Meets Primary Care: Redefining the Future of Practice– Chris Sulway, Chief of Strategy, OMD will be joining 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.
Secure your spot.
-
TECHNATION Health Webinar (June 26 from noon to 1:00 pm) – Robert Fox, CEO, and Chris Sulway, Chief of Strategy, will present
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.
Canadian Urologist Association Annual Meeting (Ottawa) (June 29) – OMD's CMO, Dr. Chandi Chandrasena, will be speaking on a panel talking about the use of AI in specialist clinics:
Leveraging AI to enhance efficiency, clinical decision-making, and patient experiences.
Recent events
-
e-Health Conference 2025:
- OMD hosted a Sponsored Symposium on
Transforming Primary Care: Unlocking the Potential of AI in Ontario on June 3. The room was packed and overflowing with many wanting to hear about the future of AI in practices. The panel included Dr. Chandrasena, CMO, OMD, Chris Sulway, Chief of Strategy, OMD, Dr. Payal Agarwal, Chief Medical Informatics and Innovation Officer, WIHV, and was moderated by Robert Fox, CEO, OMD.
- Also that day, CMO Dr. Chandrasena, spoke on the
Passing Notes in Class panel with the Canadian Institute for Health Information's (CIHI) Alyssa Bryan and Dr. Tetyana Maniuk.
- On June 6 in Montreal, CEO Robert Fox spoke about the integration of technology into care pathways at
Première Ligne en Santé (First Line in Health)
- At the
GPC Hot Topics on Healthcare Governance on June 10, Dr. Chandrasena, Dr. Rosemary Lall and Dr. Yoel Abells were on a panel discussing physician engagement and collaboration.
- OMD, including our CMO, were involved with
Building Primary Care Leadership Today (June 21-22). The event was hosted by Frontenac Lennox & Addington Ontario Health Team in Kingston.
HRM Improvements
More Users Opting Out of eNotifications
Each month more and more clinicians who use HRM are opting out of receiving eNotifications to reduce their inbox and report review burden. To date, over 700 clinicians have opted out and more than 150,000 eNotifications suppressed to date. For information on how you can also opt out of eNotifications to reduce the number of HRM reports in your inbox, check out the
last HRM User Bulletin.
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.
Partner News
Two new web-based tools for primary care clinicians
-
Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia
Assists clinicians in understanding, assessing and managing patients and residents in primary care and long-term care homes with behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), specifically responsive behaviours. Includes the
Use of Antipsychotics in Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) Discussion Guide: Residents, Families and Caregiver Edition. -
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Adults
Helps primary care clinicians assess and manage Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adult patients. Developed with primary care clinicians and people with lived experience, under Dr. Devon Shewfelt's clinical leadership, the tool aims to facilitate informed decision-making between clinicians and their patients.
Free academic detailing on ADHD is also available from CEP! Schedule a one-on-one discussion with a pharmacist to distill the latest evidence on ADHD medications. Earn CME credits while learning to assess readiness, initiate treatment, monitor outcomes and access patient resources.
Ontario Health is seeking clinical leaders to help advance the Patients Before Paperwork (Pb4P) strategy
Ontario Health is currently recruiting for two provincial clinical lead roles that will play a key part in shaping the future of Ontario's health system:
Provincial Clinical Lead, Central Intake
This role will provide clinical leadership to support the development of central intake hubs across Ontario. It focuses on improving access, standardizing operations and ensuring high-quality, equitable care across clinical areas such as orthopaedics, diagnostic imaging and cataracts.
Provincial Clinical Lead, Digital Health
This role will guide the clinical vision for Ontario's digital health transformation. It includes advancing initiatives such as Patients Before Paperwork, online appointment booking and AI adoption—helping reduce administrative burden and improve integration across the system.
Application deadline: June 26 at 5 p.m. (EST)
Learn more and apply:
ontariohealth.ca/clinician-engagement-opportunities
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.
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.