Question: Can key patient preferences be viewed and managed with a unified Connect Care tool?
Context: The Alberta Health Services (AHS) "Shared Commitments" initiative aims to improve healthcare experiences for patients, families and healthcare providers through inclusive approaches to learning about, respecting and promoting patient agency. One shared commitment is to ask about and respond to identity, language, religious, spiritual and other support interests in a compassionate and confidential manner.
Answer: While patients' identity and preferences are captured and used throughout the Connect Care information space, key indicators are gathered in a "patient preferences" patient list template that can be used to configure any "My List" patient list.
The list columns are "active", providing extra information on hovering and relevant editing tools on double-clicks. They include representations of:
- Patient identity, preferred name and preferred pronouns
- Patient goals for the encounter
- Spoken and written language preferences, including any translation or interpreter requirements
- Self-reported relationship and religious affiliations, plus spiritual support requests
- Indication of whether a consent to release of personal information has been filed
- Indication of whether AHS Shared Commitments teaching has occurred
- Communication preferences
- Patient portal status
This patient preferences list functionality can be replicated in ED trackboards, L&D greaseboards and outpatient schedules. Reporting Workbench (My Reports) templates (under the same "patient preferences" title) can facilitate quality improvement efforts for facilities, services or departments.
- Tip: Managing Patient Lists
- Demo: Patient Preferences List Template
- Manual: Patient Identification and Preferences