Connect Care FAQ: Search results for Email

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How can external mail and calendars be viewed in the AHS instance of Outlook 365?

Question: How can external email messages and calendar schedules be displayed alongside AHS content using the AHS Outlook 365 communications service?

Context: Alberta Health Services (AHS) has recently upgraded its email infrastructure and now uses Microsoft Outlook (Office 365), which is accessible through the Outlook Web Portal at outlook.office.com and from personal mobile devices that are enrolled in the AHS ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD) program. A desktop version of Outlook will be available for personal devices enrolled in BYOD.

Many physicians relate to more than one organization (e.g., AHS, University, Professional Group, etc.) and so use communications services hosted by more than one organization. Appointment coordination, among other tasks, is facilitated by integrated access to more than one communication service.

Previously, it was possible to view AHS mail and calendars alongside other mail and events using popular communication managers (e.g., Outlook, Apple Mail, Google Mail, Thunderbird, Spark, etc.). AHS has changed its configuration to disallow other communications software; restricting email and calendar access to Microsoft Outlook products (web, mobile, device). Physicians who wish to work with more than one communication source simultaneously must do this through Outlook 365.

Answer: More than one email account can be viewed in Outlook 365 mobile when installed on a device enrolled in the AHS BYOD program. The web instance of AHS's Outlook 365 provides access to AHS mail (but not external accounts). The mobile and web versions of Outlook 365 can support simultaneous viewing of AHS and external calendar information. In future, AHS will allow enrollment of personal devices (e.g., desktop and laptop computers) in the BYOD program, at which time Outlook 365 applications will become accessible on those platforms.

AHS Outlook 365 users should be aware of configured limitations to the use of multiple email and/or calendar accounts:

Email and calendar events cannot be automatically forwarded from AHS accounts to external accounts.
Email and calendar events cannot be copied or moved from an AHS account to an external account within Outlook 365, and vice versa (note this when considering how to manage email folders and archives).
It is no longer possible to view or manage AHS email or calendar information with software applications other than AHS's instance of Outlook 365.

How is AHS Secure Email Accessed via a Web Interface?

Question: How can the new AHS secure email service be accessed via the Web and how does the offering differ from use of the full Outlook software application?

Context: Alberta Health Services is upgrading from Microsoft's 2007 Communications Server to infrastructure capable of supporting Office 365 (Outlook 365) and current versions of popular operating systems (Windows, Macintosh, iOS, Android). The change includes an improved user-interface for "webmail" where an internet browser (e.g., Safari, FireFox, Chrome, Edge, Explorer) is used to list, read and respond to email messages.

Answer: Any of the links below can be used to log on to new AHS webmail using any Internet Browser. The web interface is simple to use and provides access to the same mail, calendar, contacts and tasks found in desktop versions of Outlook. However, some of the more advanced settings and features are not available via the web.

For example, the Outlook application supports multiple mailbox accounts so that, for example, professional and AHS appointments can be combined in the same calendar view. Outlook webmail provides access to AHS mail, AHS calendars and AHS contacts only.

Most importantly, personal preferences for mail, event and task management (e.g., whether to reply or reply-all) need to be re-configured in webmail. One's settings from desktop or mobile Outlook are not inherited. It is prudent to go through all Outlook webmail settings to ensure that they fit the user's needs.

When is Explicit Consent required for digital communications?

Question: Given expanded options for interacting with patients remotely, when should physicians secure explicit patient authorization to use of digital communications during virtual care?

Context: It is always important to carefully confirm patient identity before initiating any remote interaction.

Under increased pressure to provide a broader range of virtual care services, including email, texting, videoconferencing, remote monitoring, image and video file transfers, etc., physicians may wonder when explicit agreement needs to be solicited and formally documented. The CPSA, AMA and CMPA have all commented on this question:

Answer: The bottom line is that virtual care encounters, however facilitated, must confirm patient identity and willingness to participate in the proposed medium of interaction (i.e., verbal authorization). As long as the telecommunications tool(s) in use are regulated and secure, explicit (non-verbal) assent does not have to be documented:

Telephony - As long as the telephone interaction is not recorded, patient willingness to converse is implied and there is NO need to request or document formally.
Email - Explicit authorization is NOT required if AHS secure email is used. However, email messages should include a disclaimer in the footer (e.g., "Please note that, although this communication is encrypted, confidentiality of information transmitted through e-mail is inherently difficult to protect. Please be aware of this limitation when contacting us using e-mail").
Connect Care Messaging - Explicit authorization is NOT required when communicating with patients using embedded patient messaging tools (In Basket and MyChart portal).
Connect Care Virtual Visits - Explicit authorization is NOT required when using virtual visit (or virtual hospital and consultation) tools embedded within Connect Care (coming soon).
Non-Connect Care Virtual Visits - Explicit authorization is NOT required if AHS videoconferencing or telehealth tools (AHS Skype for Business, AHS RealPresence, AHS Zoom) are used. AHS clinical videoconferences should not be recorded. If this is done, explicit consent should be obtained and documented. Use of the same technologies outside of AHS enterprise licenses (e.g., personal account or university account) is not recommended, would require explicit consent, and can be considered only if no other option is available (see CPSA COVID-19 guidance).

In sum, physicians should be respectful of communication stresses experienced by patients when switching to virtual care. They should discuss the risks and benefits of any new communication tools and the physician should ensure their clinical documentation reflects this discussion.

As long as communications tool(s) are AHS approved and use is accepted by the patient, a formal documentation of approval from the patient is not required.

Script: Informing Patients about Virtual Health

How can non-Connect Care patient messaging tools be used when needed?

Question: When and how can non-Connect Care patient messaging tools be used?

Context: While AHS provides a variety of healthcare-appropriate communication tools, there remain situations where no secure or approved technology is available... but asynchronous communication is essential to care. The COVID-19 pandemic poses extraordinary challenges when patients and families must be supported at a distance. Clinicians may need to use non-approved technologies that are immediately available to both provider and patient when approved tools are not.

Examples of situations where secure tools may not be usable within a clinically reasonable time frame include:

Patient portal (MyChart) activation challenges:
Patient activation of MyChart is not instantaneous, as patients do not get access to the portal until they have completed registration for an Alberta.ca Account. This can involve delays of a week or more, and some patients find the process difficult. While Connect Care secure patient messaging is always preferred, it is not always available.
Patient email:
Email communications to patients and families can be secure if sent from an AHS email account when "!Private" is inserted in the subject line. However, the email services commonly available to patients are unlikely to support equivalently secure return emails.

Answer: MyChart clinical secure messaging should be used when available. Temporary use of un-regulated technologies may be necessary when they are the only available solution for a pressing clinical need. Patients should be aware of the risks, provide verbal consent to proceed, and have that documented in Connect Care.

Email Subscription Service Ending for Connect Care Clinician Blogs

Effective end of this month (December 31, 2024), we will be discontinuing our current email subscription service for all our Connect Care clinician blog channels. At this time, we do not have an alternate email subscription service available, but will continue to look for an appropriate service that meets our readers' needs.

In the meantime, the blog channels do each support “subscribing” to their RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed, for those who use newsfeed readers - see the tip sheet for more information. For others, perhaps consider bookmarking the main Bytes channel (bytes.connect-care.ca) and checking in on Fridays and the end of each month. Digests of new blog posts across all Connect Care clinician blog channels are published most Fridays on Bytes under the title "On Other Channels". Also, our monthly prescriber newsletter, Between the Charts (news.connect-care.ca), highlights key blog posts from the previous month; issues are typically published in the last week of each month, and a notice is published on Bytes as soon as the next issue is available. Both of these updates are gathered under the same tag, and so can be directly bookmarked via ahs-cis.ca/cmioupdates.

How do Connect Care physicians relate to the BrightSquid secure messaging solution?

Question: With Alberta Health announcing availability of another secure messaging service for patients and physicians, what does this mean for users of the Connect Care clinical information system?

Context: Alberta Health has contracted with Telus to make secure patient-physician messaging services more accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic; with BrightSquid the selected provider. An offering, branded as "MHR Secure Mail", is available at no cost to participating physicians until July 31, 2020. This will be promoted to Albertans. Patients may wonder whether or when they should use BrightSquid. Physicians may wonder when to use an existing AHS messaging system and when to use BrightSquid. The systems currently do not interoperate.

Answer: AHS strongly supports secure messaging solutions that meet regulatory requirements for messaging between patients and their physicians. This BrightSquid service promoted by Alberta Health until July 31, 2020, is one of many options. AHS supports physicians choosing a solution that best meets their practice requirements... and making sure that they have the required Privacy Impact Assessment addendum in place.

Physicians with independent clinics may elect to use the BrightSquid system alongside their existing electronic or paper records. Where AHS bears responsibility for the record of care (EMR or CIS), physicians should use AHS within-system secure patient communication tools or, failing that, AHS Secure Email.

Manual: Secure Email

Why can't I edit Microsoft files on an AHS computer?

Question: I opened a Microsoft Word file on an AHS computer and I can't seem to edit or save it. How can I edit it?

Context: Microsoft has recently changed their licensing model, impacting staff who work exclusively on shared AHS computers. As previously posted, individual AHS prescriber licenses are being switched over to reflect these changes starting in September 2025 (concluding in November), and this will affect some of the functionality of the desktop versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint software on shared AHS computers. However, web versions of the software are now available for AHS use via the Microsoft 365 (M365) web apps, and these have most of the basic functions of the desktop version and are relatively easy to use. Many Microsoft files will open directly in these web apps and can then directly be edited/saved/downloaded from there. For those files that first open on the desktop version of the software, with a couple clicks these can be opened in the computer's Internet browser for quick online editing or downloading for further offline work on a personal device.

Answer: While editing and saving a Microsoft file using the desktop Microsoft Office software on a shared AHS computer may no longer be possible, it is possible to do so in an Internet browser.

If wanting to edit a Microsoft file that first opens in the desktop app, it will have to be opened in your browser first and then downloaded and moved to the cloud before it can be opened in the web app (see pg. 3-4 of the guide for screenshots):

Click on the “File” tab.
In the lefthand menu, click on “Info”, and then click on the “Copy path” button near the top of the screen, underneath the filename.
Open a new tab in your web browser, paste the link in the address bar, and press enter on your keyboard. The file will open in the Microsoft “online” view-only mode (note this is not the same as the M365 web app used for editing). On the righthand side, select the three dots.
In the dropdown menu, click on “Download”. The file should then be found in the computer’s Downloads folder. It can then be either be: (a) moved to your AHS cloud storage location (e.g., your AHS OneDrive), and from there it will open in the web app; or (b) attached to a secure email and sent to yourself, to open on your personal/professional device and work on further.

If a Microsoft file opens in a M365 web app and you prefer editing on your personal device, to download:

Click on the “File” tab.
In the dropdown menu, click on “Create a Copy”.
Select “Download a copy”. After confirming you want to download the file, the file should then be found in the computer’s Downloads folder. It can then be attached to a secure email and sent to yourself, to open on your personal/professional device.

For more information on the switch to M365 web apps, see:

Why can't I connect to AHS Wireless?

Question: Prescribers need wireless network access for personal devices (smartphones, tablets, portable computers) when providing health services in Alberta Health Services (AHS) facilities. A few issues can frustrate attempts to get connected.

Context: AHS provides wireless network services within its facilities, recognized by the network identifier "AHSRESTRICT". Most facilities also support a "HEALTHSPOT" wireless connection, intended for patient use. The AHSRESTRICT network cannot be joined without AHS network credentials, whereas HEALTHSPOT can be joined without need for a username and password.

Answers: A few pointers can prevent common connection frustrations:

Credentials
A first attempt connecting to AHSRESTRICT will trigger a request for the user's AHS network credentials. Be sure to use the "user name" and "password" combination that also works for AHS email and Connect Care access.
Network Domain
Take notice of any pick-list or edit field for the AHS domain to "Log on to", and be sure that this is set for the "HEALTHY" network.
Security Certificate
An alert or warning (depending upon device type) may follow to the effect that the user needs to accept an AHS "security certificate". Say "yes", however that is expressed for the current device.
Repeats
One may periodically receive prompts to re-authenticate or repeat acceptance of a (new) security certificate. Following the on-screen directions works in most cases. If not, the best work-around is to delete the AHSRESTRICT wireless settings on one's device and then start the wireless connection process afresh.
Other Issues
Please contact the IT Service desk (1-877-311-4300) for assistance if these tips prove unhelpful.

How can AHS Outlook 365 calendars be viewed in other calendar applications?

Question: How can AHS Outlook 365 calendar schedules be viewed in external calendar applications?

Context: Alberta Health Services (AHS) has recently upgraded its email infrastructure and now uses Microsoft Outlook (Office 365), which is accessible through the Outlook Web Portal at outlook.office.com and from personal mobile devices that are enrolled in the AHS "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD) program. A desktop version of Outlook will be available for personal devices enrolled in BYOD.

Many physicians relate to more than one organization (e.g., AHS, University, Professional Group) and so use communications services hosted by more than one organization. Appointment coordination, among other tasks, is facilitated by access to more than one calendar.

Previously, it was possible to view AHS mail and calendars alongside other mail and events using popular communication managers (e.g., Outlook, Apple Mail, Google Mail, Thunderbird, Spark). The AHS Office 365 configuration no longer interacts directly with non-Microsoft communication managers. Physicians can still provide read-only information from their AHS calendar via indirect means.

Answer: Sharing of a personal calendar in Office 365 is only available between individuals using the AHS version of Outlook. Publishing a calendar allows anyone with the link to have a read-only view of your AHS calendar. Subscribing to a calendar allows a user to view someone else’s Outlook calendar from a third-party calendar program.

Tip: Publishing and Subscribing to Calendars in Office 365

Why is there a delay in being able to view diagnostic images if the exam was completed at a Connect Care site?

Question: Why is there sometimes a delay between completion of an imaging investigation or intervention ordered in Connect Care and availability of associated images for viewing in Connect Care?

Context: Diagnostic images are not instantly available to the ordering provider when an imaging exam is marked complete in Connect Care by a Technologist. The imaging workflow involves a number of steps that may not be apparent to all users:

A Technologist facilitating the intervention or investigation completes their documentation in Connect Care.
"Picture Archive and Communications System" (PACS) receives an "End Exam" message from Connect Care and generates a unique identifier for the exam.
The identifier initializes archiving of the diagnostic images and data to a storage system ("Impax Data Center", IDC).
IDC generates a message when all of the images for that diagnostic imaging procedure have been received, which then makes the images available to be viewed in Connect Care and Netcare.

Answer: A number of steps occur behind the scenes once an imaging investigation or intervention is marked complete in Connect Care by the performing Technologist. These steps are usually fast but can trigger a perceptible delay when a diagnostic imaging procedure generates many images, large images or image transfers when network traffic is high. These variables are outside of the control of the Technologist.

If diagnostic images are taking longer than expected to appear for clinical use, or if the images are critical to provide urgent patient care, please call the IT Service Desk (1-877-311-4300) to report a high priority ticket, or email Imaging Apps Support (ImagingAppsSupport@ahs.ca; available Monday–Friday, 07:45–16:00). In critical situations, the images can be viewed in the imaging department if there is an unexpected delay with image transmission to Connect Care.