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Health Report Manager (HRM®) Preference Management Expansion

Overview

OntarioMD (OMD) is committed to reducing your administrative burden and improving your experience with HRM. To reduce the number of reports delivered to your EMR, we are pleased to offer HRM users the opportunity to manage their eNotifications preferences by providing them with the ability to stop them. This service supports the recommendations of the HRM Task Force to reduce report volumes. We are assessing the feasibility of giving users the ability to stop other report types in the future.

If you wish to stop receiving eNotifications: 

  1. Submit an Expression of Interest Form Provide your name, license number, and email address.

    • If you are completing this form on behalf of a clinician, please use their email address. 

    • Confirmation will be required directly from the clinician. Generic or clinic email addresses will not be accepted.

  2. Watch for an email from support@ontariomd.com

  3. Respond to the email to verify your request

  4. Once your request has been processed, you will receive a confirmation via email that eNotifications has been stopped

Background

HRM is a provincial digital health solution that electronically delivers patient health reports from hospitals and specialty clinics to community clinicians across Ontario.

Since 2014, HRM has also been delivering eNotifications, which are near real-time electronic alerts from participating hospitals that notify clinicians when:

  • A patient has been discharged from an emergency department, or

  • A patient has been admitted to or discharged from an in-patient unit.

eNotifications appear in clinicians' EMR system just like other HRM reports. In addition to these alerts, clinicians continue to receive discharge summaries and other hospital reports, meaning they often receive both an eNotification and a discharge summary for the same patient event.

The HRM Task Force identified report volume as a significant pain point for clinicians, contributing to administrative burden and frustration. While eNotifications were designed to provide timely updates, some clinicians have expressed concerns about the added volume of reports, noting that the information in eNotifications may overlap with other reports they receive. Approximately 50% of surveyed clinicians indicated that they would opt out of eNotifications if given the option.

OntarioMD conducted a pilot to confirm the benefits of stopping eNotifications. Participants reported a reduction in report clutter and administrative burden. HRM users can now stop receiving eNotifications via HRM.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly are eNotifications, and what are they not?

eNotifications are quick alerts notifying you of patient admissions, discharges, or transfers.
They are not:

  • Discharge summaries

  • Consultation reports

  • Any other medical record or diagnostic imaging results

The above reports will continue to be delivered to your EMR through HRM as usual, even if eNotifications are turned off.

How do I know if I am currently receiving eNotifications?

If you are unsure whether you are currently receiving eNotifications, visit the OntarioMD Sending Facilities page.

  • Search for your local hospital(s) on the list of sending facilities.

  • If your hospital has eNotifications turned on, this will be indicated by a checkmark in the rightmost column. This is a strong indication that you are likely receiving eNotifications from that hospital through HRM.

Can I still receive eNotifications for specific patients or from specific hospitals?

No, once you decide and confirm your decision to stop eNotifications, you will not receive them for any patients or from any hospitals. In future phases, OMD will explore the capability to manage eNotifications preferences across specific patients and hospitals. If you use HRM at multiple locations, your request to opt out will apply to all locations.

Since I will no longer receive eNotifications in near real time, how long do I have to wait for the discharge summary?

When eNotifications are stopped, you will continue to receive discharge summaries as you normally would, typically within 24 to 48 hours after the patient's discharge. While eNotifications and discharge summaries may contain similar information, they are distinct report types.

eNotifications provide a quick, real-time alert of a patient's status change (e.g., admission or discharge).

Discharge summaries offer a more detailed clinical report of the patient's treatment and follow-up plan.

How do I stop eNotifications?

To stop eNotifications:

  1. Submit an Expression of Interest Form.  If you are completing this form on behalf of a clinician, please use the email address of the clinician. Confirmation will be required directly from the clinician. Generic or clinic email addresses will not be accepted.

  2. We will contact the clinician via email to confirm the request.

  3. Once the request is confirmed, eNotifications will be turned off.

How can I turn eNotifications back on?

You can turn eNotifications back on at any time by emailing support@ontariomd.com. Please include your full name and license number in your email so we can correctly identify your profile and process your request. 

Where can I get more information about HRM?

More information is available on our HRM pages.