Question: How can addition of a clinical scale or score be requested for the Connect Care clinical information system?
Context: Clinical Scales Scores and Tools (CSST) offer valuable decision supports for estimating risks for and effects of health conditions. Connect Care provides access to a wide range of common clinical measures, most in forms that allow trending observations over time.
The Connect Care Clinical System Design program ensures that deployed CSST are based on provincially validated instruments that are carefully evaluated for use in Alberta, avoid unhelpful duplication, and have use permissions secured from authors or owners.
Answer: First check to see if a desired CSST is already available in Connect Care as a calculator, advanced flowsheet or SmartForm (see relevant parts of the Manual).
If a case is to be made for a new CSST, there is a process to follow. Complete and submit a CSST Clinical Requirements Form to provide background information about the tool, design details and clinical use cases. This is reviewed by an appropriate Connect Care Area Council. Priorities are established before build work can begin, including securing copyright or licensing arrangements. We ask that applicants do not directly contact copyright owners. AHS legal has developed a process for that manages risks for AHS and clinicians alike. Any useful contacts can be specified in the requirements form.