Question: Is there a way for clinicians to submit a device incident report through the Connect Care clinical information system (CIS)?
Context: Medical devices are regulated by Health Canada, which mandates that device-related safety risks be reported. Medical devices include clinical equipment (e.g. IV pumps, ventilators, vitals monitors, etc.) and clinical consumables (e.g., pacemakers, PICC lines, artificial joints, etc.). A device-related event is any incident, or condition that could have resulted or did result in harm to a patient and involves a device or CIS interface to a device.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) uses a single, province-wide system for device incident reporting. The Medical Device Incidents or Problems (MDIP) reporting system can be accessed directly within Connect Care.
Note that AHS uses is a separate system (Reporting & Learning System for Patient Safety, RLS) for reporting other patient safety events.
Answer: The MDIP device incident reporting system is integrated with the Connect Care CIS. Users can submit a report from within Connect Care. Use the Chart Search function (top right in Hyperspace) to search for "MDIP" then select the appropriate activity where a report workflow is launched. MDIP also appears near the top of the Epic menu structure.
Be sure to indicate a Connect Care relationship in the comments if it is believed that the device incident relates to an interface to the Connect Care CIS.
- Be sure to check the question “Was digital health technology a factor” as "Yes".
- If a helpdesk (help.connect-care.ca) service ticket was created, please include the ticket number in the description of the incident.
- If the device incident was specific to a particular patient care workflow, please add the medical record number (MRN) to the description.
- If available, note the device identification number in the description of the incident. This can be found on an AHS sticker applied to the device.
- QuickReference: Reporting Safety Events Online