The Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington (CMHAWW) has received $190,000 from the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network (WWLHIN) to connect its Caseworks client software system to OntarioMD’s Hospital Report Manager (HRM).
The program is an ehealth solution that enables physicians to securely receive patient reports electronically from participating hospitals and specialty clinics.
This is the first time in Ontario that client information will be securely shared electronically between a community partner and primary care physicians and hospitals.
Coyote is the software provider for Caseworks and will be building a “tunnel” from Caseworks to HRM, so that mental health association staff will be able to electronically send pertinent client information directly to family doctors.
This means staff will no longer need to scan, fax or purolate this information to family doctors; they’ll be able to see client information directly in their databases and on their computer screens in real time.
This will be a support to sharing critical “need to know” information with primary care physicians as it will improve the immediate communication and collaboration of care for people with mental health and addiction issues.
“Collaborative team-based care for patients with mental health is essential, and only effective if team members are in communication with one another,” Dr. Joan Chan, primary care physician, said in a press release.
“By connecting [the mental health association] directly with primary care, I am hopeful this new initiative will improve collaboration between these two essential aspects of mental health care.”
The creation of this interface between Caseworks and HRM will impact all of he CMHAWW programs and services and Here 24/7 partners.
Likely the biggest impact will be for Here 24/7 given the volume of referrals and “traffic”.
Here 24/7 is the front door to the addictions, mental health and crisis services provided by 11 agencies across Waterloo Wellington.
By March of 2017, the connection will be made between Caseworks and HRM.
“This is a huge step forward for the health care system in Waterloo Wellington,” officials state.
