Showing posts with label Email. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Email. Show all posts

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.

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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.

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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.
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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.
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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.
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