Locum Supports

As more sites and departments across the province become live on Connect Care, more locum prescribers will need to prepare for working at a Connect Care site. This section provides essential information for locum prescribers prior to, while, and after working at a Connect Care site.

PRIOR TO WORKING AT A CONNECT CARE SITE (click to expand/collapse)

Connect Care Training

Prescribers who are planning to work at a site that has already launched or will be launching Connect Care will need to gain access and be trained prior to working. While there is no reimbursement for time spent learning how to use the Connect Care system, Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits can be claimed with the Canadian College of Family Physicians or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada for completed instructor-led or independent learning Connect Care courses.

Getting Access to Connect Care

Locum physicians must follow the steps listed below to get Connect Care access. These steps should be completed at least 4 weeks prior to the start of the locum to ensure training and privileges are set up in time.

For locum nurse practitioners (NPs), contact Provincial NP Services (Prov.NPServices@ahs.ca). 

Keeping Connect Care Account Active

Prescribers need to log in to Connect Care a minimum of once every 180 days to keep their account active. It is important to confirm that one's account is active prior to the start of your shifts, as account reactivation can take a few days (potentially longer over weekends and holidays).

If a prescriber has trained early but does not pick up a working shift at a Connect Care site for some time, learnings can always be reinforced by practicing with training workbooks and reviewing Independent Learning courses on MyLearningLink.

WHILE WORKING AT A CONNECT CARE SITE (click to expand/collapse)

Support

There will be physician and Nurse Practitioner (NP) “Super Users” available to provide support to physicians and NPs during the initial 6 weeks after a Connect Care launch. However, Super Users may not always be available (particularly if the locum occurs at a site over 6 weeks post-launch), so it is important to prepare thoroughly by attending an instructor-led Basic training course, practicing more with the training workbook provided at the end of the course, and attending a Personalization course.

AFTER WORKING AT A CONNECT CARE SITE (click to expand/collapse)

Results Routing and Message Management

Locum prescribers will need to determine with their clinical site how results and messages will be routed and followed-up; this is a mutual responsibility between the locum prescriber and site leadership. Results (e.g., labs and diagnostic imaging) and messages (e.g., consult letters), by default, will enter the locum prescriber’s “In Basket” in the Connect Care system for review and management.

After finishing a locum, In Basket should be reviewed intermittently to ensure important results and messages are managed and not missed. With having a “live” In Basket, some messages will route to In Basket, when they previously were delivered by fax or mail. Please refer to the Mixed Provider Contexts section of this Manual for strategies on how to navigate receiving messages from mixed contexts (e.g., Connect Care In Basket and fax or mail). 

Management of Results Post-Discharge

Attestation or a contract clause is needed to determine whether labs ordered in ED will be managed in a post-discharge pool or whether they remain the responsibility of the locum, as there is variability between Connect Care sites at present.

Additional Resources (click to expand/collapse)

For more information about Connect Care, see other sections of this Manual, as well as the following resources: