August 2026
Tips and advice on EMRs, AI and digital health tools you can use NOW
From the Chief Medical Officer
Early insights from OMD Community Clinician Survey: AI Use in Ontario
As AI-powered tools become increasingly available in health care, it is crucial to know how community-based clinicians are using these technologies and the support they need to adopt them effectively. To gain these insights, OMD conducted the OMD Clinician Survey: AI Use in Ontario in March 2026, the first extensive survey of Ontario clinicians on their use, experiences, and perceptions of AI tools in health care. The number of responses we received exceeded our expectations.
I’d like to share a sneak peek of some of the early insights we gained with eTips readers before OMD releases its full report. They provide a better understanding of the current state of AI adoption across Ontario, including how these tools are used, the value they deliver, barriers to overcome for increasing adoption, and areas for improvement. Here is a snapshot.
This statistic on AI use tells us that the adoption of AI tools is uneven, but has grown substantially since OMD’s study on AI scribes in 2024 and national physician surveys conducted in 2024 and 2025. AI use is growing everywhere, and community-based primary care is no exception.
This statistic on verifying the safety and efficacy of AI tools provides an insight on the institutions and sources clinicians trust most regarding AI. Seventy-two per cent of clinicians reported trusting provincial associations most for AI guidance. This new insight is valuable for engaging provincial associations in evaluating new AI tools.
In capturing clinicians’ perspectives on the front lines of care, the survey establishes a baseline to guide OMD’s future work to support responsible AI adoption and ensure these technologies deliver meaningful benefits for clinicians and patients.
The full survey report will be released before the OMD Digital Health Conference. Plan to attend to learn about all the insights, how OMD can help you understand AI tools better, and help you select the ones that best fit with your clinic.
Digital Health Education & Knowledge Translation
Last call for early bird registration for our 2026 Digital Health Conference at Exhibition Place on October 1-2! Take advantage of $100 in early bird savings before it expires on August 21. Save even more by booking as a group! Join us to discover practical tools, proven strategies, and emerging technologies that can help reduce administrative burden, manage technological overload, optimize workflows, and enhance patient care. Hear your fellow clinicians on why they keep coming back to the conference year after year!
Highlighting the conference are our renowned keynotes
Day One Opening
Dr. Alika Lafontaine, CMA past president (2022-2023) and among the most influential voices in Canadian medicine today.
Session: The outrage cure: Responding to loss, betrayal and hopelessness in health care
Day One Closing
Dr. Nandini Gupta, cardiologist, Founder and CEO, Art in Medicine (AIM).
Session: Keeping medicine human
Day Two Opening
Dr. Michael Evans, physician innovator, former Apple staffer; former endowed chair in Patient Engagement.
Session: From exam rooms to iPhones: Lessons from the front lines of health
Day Two Closing
Dr. Chandi Chandrasena, Chief Medical Officer, OntarioMD.
Talk: From insight to action: AI survey findings
Have you created an innovative tool? Consider exhibiting at the conference.
Looking to reach new customers with your product or service? Explore our sponsorship and marketing opportunities, including promotions in our monthly eTips newsletter.
The conference offers opportunities for heightened engagement, visibility, and exposure, including:
- Multi-channel and customizable sponsorship opportunities
- Vendor Showcase and Start-Up Zone, with strategically timed breaks to drive booth traffic
- Exclusive sponsored speaking opportunities (limited availability)
- Marketing opportunities, such as bag inserts, email blasts, social media callouts, and more
More than 85% of exhibitors return year after year!
OntarioMD can speak to your group, district, OHT, or PCN about digital health topics that affect your practice. Send a request to omd.events@ontariomd.com for a tailored talk.
For practical tips and resources, including webinars, toolkits, and more, on using your EMR and digital health tools, visit OMDEducates.com.
AI Tools: Beyond Scribes
Excited about AI, but overwhelmed by the information out there? Whether you’re a family physician, community specialist, nurse practitioner or a clinic/practice manager or owner, OMD is your go-to resource for using any AI tool in clinical practice. Here’s what we’re working on:
- First province-wide community clinician survey on the use of AI – from scribes to clinical decision support (CDS) tools and more. Read the preliminary findings.
- AI-CDS pilot to improve quality standards for type 2 diabetes. The results are in! The pilot involved three family practices, 14 primary care clinicians, and nearly 500 patients to test the potential of an AI-CDS tool to generate meaningful improvements in diabetes care. The project is a collaboration between the Mid-West Toronto OHT, Mid-West Toronto Family Practice Network, Toronto Western Family Health Team – University Health Network, Healwell AI and OntarioMD, with funding and non-clinical project support from Boehringer Ingelheim Canada. Read the full findings.
- AI inbox assistants for practical help for busy clinics. With grant support from the Ontario Medical Association, OMD studied how these tools can help clinics manage incoming reports, faxes and other documents. Can they flag urgent items, route work faster, and reduce end-of-day inbox review? Look for the upcoming AI inbox assistant study report.
The Ontario AI Scribe Program has added new AI scribe vendors! For an easy comparison of all the vendors, check out the handy vendor matrix.
If you’re currently negotiating or renewing a contract with one of the vendors recently added to the program’s list (for example, Heidi Health, MD Voice, or others), or nearing the end of your free trial, spare yourself the research hassle. Sign up for more favourable terms and pricing with the Ontario AI Scribe Program. AI scribes hold great value for family physicians, specialists, and nurse practitioners alike, so don’t miss out! Hear what Dr. Darren Larsen has to say about them.
For more information on the Ontario AI Scribe Program, visit the OMD Practice Hub for the Vendor of Record list, program video, and frequently asked questions on the Ontario AI Scribe Program.
Digital Tip from our Readers
Streamlining hypertension management in family practice
This month’s tip on hypertension management comes from Dr. Michelle Greiver, a family physician with the North York Family Health Team.
Family doctors, community-based specialists, nurse practitioners, and primary care clinics are at the heart of patient care. OMD spotlights their role in championing innovation and adopting new technologies by showcasing their tips and best practices.
Share your digital tip with clinician colleagues in this section by emailing maria.miceli@ontariomd.com.
OMD Advisor Tip
Updated PSS Clinic Toolkit: Turn EMR data into action
Discover a better way to turn EMR data into action. OMD’s updated PSS Clinic Toolkit provides TELUS PSS EMR users with practical reports and resources to proactively manage patient populations, identify patients who may be due for recommended care, and optimize clinical workflows – all by leveraging information already captured in the EMR. From preventive care and recalls to chronic disease management and patient panels, the toolkit supports proactive population health management and quality improvement.
OMD Advisors develop useful tools and provide valuable advice to clinicians anywhere in Ontario. They can help you with provincial digital health tools, not just EMRs. Take advantage of these services, at no cost to you, before calling anyone else!
From the General Counsel and CPO
AI innovation needs guardrails
Recent reports of an AI coding agent deleting a company’s production database and backups serve as a reminder of the risk of using AI tools without proper governance and oversight. As AI adoption continues to grow in health care, organizations should also be mindful of shadow AI: the use of unapproved AI tools outside established processes.
While often well-intentioned, using AI solutions can introduce privacy, security, and legal risks, particularly when personal health information is involved.
The lesson is not to stop using or adopting AI. The key is ensuring it is implemented responsibly. AI has the potential to improve productivity, reduce administrative burden, and support better care. OntarioMD encourages healthcare organizations and clinicians to use approved AI solutions, including those available through the Ontario AI Scribe Program’s Vendor of Record list. These tools have undergone appropriate review and provide a safer pathway to realizing AI’s benefits while protecting privacy and maintaining trust.
The takeaway: AI use is encouraged, but it should be through trusted, approved tools. With the right safeguards, innovation and privacy can go hand in hand.
Read more privacy and security tips
HRM Improvements
Pathology results from southeastern hospitals expanded to specialists
Following a successful pilot on the distribution of pathology results via HRM®, hospitals in southeast Ontario using Lumeo have enabled primary care physicians, referring physicians, specialists, attending and ordering clinicians who use HRM, to stop fax distribution of these results as of August 5, 2026. To support a smooth transition and ensure accurate delivery of results, reports will be sent via fax and HRM for approximately six weeks. This parallel delivery period will help validate that reports are received correctly through HRM before fax delivery is discontinued.
During this time, please complete the Lumeo HRM / Pathology Pilot Feedback form if you experience any of these issues:
- Missing reports — received via fax, but not through HRM
- Duplicate reports — received more than one copy of the same report through either HRM or by fax
- Content mismatches — differences between faxed results and results delivered through HRM
Note: You should only receive reports once (via fax/HRM) even if you are mentioned twice (e.g., as primary care and referring).
Upon successful completion of the pilot and validation of HRM report delivery, fax distribution will be discontinued for clinicians receiving pathology results through HRM. Hospitals that use the Lumeo system will send further communications regarding timelines and the process for discontinuing fax delivery before implementing changes. For more information about the Lumeo collaboration with HRM and OMD, read the article, Tackling a wicked problem through HRM optimization.
If you experience issues or have fax distribution turned off in error, please contact Lumeo at comms@lumeorhis.ca.
Your HRM experience is important to us. Don’t hesitate to contact support@ontariomd.com with any questions.
OMD in the News
- Read our blog, “AI Scribes No Longer the Future, but the New Normal”, to discover why the tools are catching on in clinical practice.
- Learn more about Dr. Chandi Chandrasena’s role in advancing digital health in the article “Dr. Chandi Chandrasena leads the way in AI and digital health”.
EMR News
Stay up to date on OMD-certified EMR offerings
Visit our webpage for a current list of OMD-certified EMRs, including newly added offerings.
Need EMR Help?
Your EMR should be a benefit, not a burden. In addition to our OMD Advisory Service and Peer Leaders, OMD has COMPLIMENTARY resources to help you use your certified EMR better. Find out how we can help you.
Join a Community of Practice (CoP)! CoP is a virtual place for EMR, AI, and digital health tool users, including clinicians and office staff, to share their knowledge, discover upcoming changes, ask questions, and learn from vendors and other users. Find out more about OMD Communities of Practice.
Upcoming AI Scribe CoP: We invite you to join us on September 23, 2026, featuring guest speaker, Ariane Siegel, General Counsel & Chief Privacy Officer. Learn about AI scribe consent, privacy, and security, and gain practical insights into the safe and effective use of AI-powered documentation tools.
Important Reminders
If you plan on:
- Moving, joining or taking over a practice
- Changing internet plans or providers
- Changing EMRs
Contact support@ontariomd.com at least two (2) weeks in advance to ensure you continue to receive HRM reports.