May 2026 Digital Health eTips Newsletter
May 2026
Tips and advice on EMRs, AI and digital health tools you can use NOW
From the Chief Medical Officer
Why privacy and security training matters more than ever
As most of us are relying more on digital tools in day-to-day care, including EMRs, virtual care, and AI tools, privacy and security awareness has become essential. The reality is that risks are increasing, including cyberattacks, phishing, and inappropriate use of tools.
As clinicians, we’re accountable for protecting patient information in our practices, and as community physicians, we’re also ultimately responsible if something goes wrong in the clinic.
OntarioMD’s updated Privacy & Security Training for the Healthcare Sector is practical and grounded in real clinical settings, not just theory. It covers actual common risks we see firsthand, including AI use in practice, and outlines simple steps you and your team can take to reduce risk.
This is not just about PHIPA compliance. It’s about protecting your patients, your team, and your practice, and it applies to everyone in your clinic. The training is free, offers 15.25 CME credits, and can be completed in manageable pieces. Over 12,000 clinicians and staff have already taken it.
For those working with Ontario Health Teams (OHTs), it’s an easy, ready-made resource to roll out across your Primary Care Network (PCN) or clinics and create a consistent baseline for privacy and security practices without having to build something from scratch.
If you or your team haven’t taken it yet, it’s worth doing. Watch this video to learn why every Ontario clinician needs privacy and security training.
Digital Health Advocacy and Education
Discover why clinicians keep coming back to our in-person Digital Health Conference. This fall, learn practical digital tips to improve your workflow, explore physician‑led sessions on managing tech overload, and discover the latest AI tools and vendor solutions—all in one place. Join us for the 2026 Digital Health Conference, October 1-2 at Toronto’s Exhibition Place. Ask your OHT to sponsor you!
Early bird registration is available for $100 in savings. Get even more savings with group registration!
Digital Health Virtual Symposium recordings available now!
Our Digital Health Virtual Symposium on April 24, 2026, was a hit! With 700+ attendees, the symposium featured a keynote address, “Hope for Technology in Practice”, by Dr. Darren Larsen on identifying digital trends and reducing the use of technology that doesn’t benefit practice workflows.
Couldn’t attend? You can still purchase all 15 session recordings for $99.99. This includes access to sessions and panels on topics such as AI scribe, privacy and security, FHO+ billing, eReferral, reducing administrative burden and more!
Advocating on your behalf
OMD continues to advocate for support for primary care clinicians, community specialists, and their staff in leveraging technology to enhance patient care and practice operations.
- HIMSS Eastern Canada Chapter Event, May 27 – Dr. Chandi Chandrasena will participate in a panel to discuss insights on a report from the Canadian Medical Association on physician administrative burden.
- CHIEF Executive Forum Spring26 Symposium, June 17 – Ariane Siegel, General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer, OMD, will discuss how fragmented funding, misaligned incentives, and diffuse responsibilities shape digital health decisions in practice.
Ontario Health digital tools for certified EMR users
Have you signed up for the Digital Health Drug Repository (DHDR) and EMR Contextual Launch services (e.g., Cancer Care Ontario eReports and more)? Get started by completing the form.
DHDR gives you convenient, real-time, secure access from your EMR to information about publicly funded, drugs and pharmacy services, as well as all monitored drugs, regardless of payor, dispensed to your patients.
EMR Contextual Launch services are a set of OH tools you can launch without leaving your EMR. This means a quicker and more seamless process to view much-needed patient data without the need to sign into external portals. Your EMR works with the apps to pre-populate forms such as requests for specialist advice.
DHDR and EMR Contextual Launch services are available to all users of OMD-certified EMRs. Don’t wait any longer to turn on these important services from your EMR!
Looking for guidance on the use of AI tools, EMRs, HRM or other technologies? OntarioMD can speak to your group, OHT, or PCN based on your needs. Send your request to omd.events@ontariomd.com.
HRM Improvements
Minor HRM upgrade coming this month
HRM will undergo a minor upgrade this month, though it will be invisible to OMD’s clinical users and partners. The upgrade will ensure sensitive patient information stays protected, and the overall HRM system remains resilient. Look for new HRM functionality later this year.
Partner News
Tools from the Centre for Effective Practice (CEP)
New Tool: Psoriasis
CEP’s latest clinical tool on psoriasis supports primary care clinicians accurately diagnose and implement tailored treatment plans for individuals living with psoriasis across a range of disease severities, enabling timely care. The tool provides evidence-based guidance on assessment, diagnosis (including in skin of colour) and support navigating the range of topical and systemic treatment options, along with referral and follow-up care.
Free Academic Detailing on Psoriasis Pharmacotherapy
Tailored 1:1 education on psoriasis pharmacotherapy is also available! Meet virtually or in person with an academic detailing pharmacist and get answers to your questions on:
- Implementing a pharmacological treatment approach that considers disease severity, body site and patient preferences
- Understanding topical and systemic therapy options and how they compare
- Choosing the most appropriate regimen for the patient’s symptoms, risk factors and circumstances
- Monitoring and adjusting therapy based on shared goals for therapy
- Much more!
New Tool: Endometriosis
CEP’s latest clinical tool on endometriosis supports primary care clinicians in recognizing symptoms and risk factors, helping to reduce diagnostic delays. The tool provides evidence-based guidance on assessment and diagnosis, including resources to support assessment, considerations for fertility and long-term management, and navigation of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options through shared decision-making. It also offers clear direction on when to refer to specialists and how to support ongoing follow-up care.
Stay current with Ontario Health Virtual Visits Verification
The Virtual Visits Verification (VVV) Program helps clinicians identify virtual care tools that meet Ontario Health’s privacy, security and functionality standards. Register today for an easier way to stay up to date on which virtual care solutions are safe and reliable!
Vendor Spotlight Sponsored Session: Dr.Bill
Note: OMD Vendor Spotlights include sponsored digital health content in partnership with companies supporting the future of health care.
Sign up for “Building a Financial Routine: Yearly, Monthly & Daily Habits that Optimize Financial Wellness” on May 25, 2026. This interactive session, sponsored by Dr.Bill, will explore the concept of financial independence and the impact that finances have on your wellness. Learn how to fortify personal wellness through optimized billing and income streams and avoiding common financial mistakes.
AI Tools: Beyond Scribes
Continuing to help shape the future of AI with your input
Excited about AI, but overwhelmed by the information out there? Whether you’re a family physician or specialist, OMD is your go-to resource for using AI in clinical practice, including more than just AI scribes. Here’s what we’re working on:
- Sharing insights from the first province-wide survey to collect community clinicians’ insights on the use of AI – from scribes to clinical decision support (CDS) tools and more. Open to clinicians and clinic staff across Ontario from February 17 to March 6, the survey generated strong interest, with over 1,600 responses. Results will be shared at provincial and national levels to inform policy, funding, and implementation decisions and ensure that clinicians have a seat at the table on how AI is evaluated, governed, and adopted in clinical practice. Stay tuned for more details.
- A proof-of-concept project for Clinical Decision Support (CDS) tools. Led by Ontario Health, in partnership with OMD, the Centre for Effective Practice (CEP), and Women’s College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (WIHV), this initiative will study how AI-enabled CDS tools can support primary care clinicians, with a focus on usability and workflow integration. OMD is responsible for the legal and ethical evaluation of the tools.
- Understanding AI inbox assistant solutions. In partnership with the Ontario Medical Association, OMD is exploring the impact of these tools in reducing administrative burden, improving workflow efficiency, and supporting the management of incoming clinical and administrative information for community-based clinicians.
Looking for more talks on AI? Join us at these upcoming events:
- Queen’s University AI in Medicine Virtual Series: OMD is pleased to support this continuing professional development webinar series. Join all four sessions starting May 20 for free credits! Dr. Chandi Chandrasena will speak during Administrative AI in Practice: Scribes, Scheduling & Referrals on June 25, 2026 – This will be an honest discussion on the value, costs, and context differences of AI tools.
- eHealth Conference and Tradeshow, June 14-16 – Andrew King, Chief Technology Officer, and Matthew Leduc, Executive Director, Products, Integrations and Service Management, will deliver a presentation on lessons learned on using AI to interpret health reports.
New AI scribe vendors have been added to the Ontario AI Scribe Program! If you’re currently negotiating a contract with one of the vendors recently added to the program’s list (for example, Heidi Health, MD Voice, or others) or are nearing the end of your free trial, spare yourself the due diligence work. Sign up for more favourable terms and pricing with the Ontario AI Scribe Program. AI scribes hold great value for family physicians and specialists alike, so don’t miss out!
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.
Peer Leader Tip
Using AI scribe to document phone-based consults
This month’s tip comes from Dr. Vandana Ahluwalia, OMD Peer Leader, and co-chair of the AI Scribe Community of Practice. Did you know that an AI scribe can be used to support documentation while you’re on a call? For phone‑based clinician‑to‑clinician consults, the scribe can generate a structured summary of the interaction, helping ensure you have appropriate documentation to support billing. Note – make sure to run the AI scribe on a separate device (tablet, computer, or second phone) as it cannot capture a conversation for a call in progress on the same phone. For many clinicians, documenting just two to three calls this way can offset the monthly cost of most AI scribe subscriptions.
OMD Peer Leaders comprise a network of over 50 physicians (family doctors, specialists), nurse practitioners, nurses and clinic managers. As expert users of OMD-certified EMRs and other digital health and virtual care tools, they work with our Advisory Service Team to help you with your EMR and digital workflows.
If you’d like advice from a Peer Leader that is tailored to your clinic, please contact peer.leader.program@ontariomd.com. Discover what our Peer Leader Program and Advisory Service can do for you.
OMD Advisor Tip
Roster Reconciliation Toolkit: improve accuracy, reduce gaps
An accurate roster ensures your patient panel reflects your current practice population and supports reliable reporting for time-based activities. Regular reconciliation helps identify discrepancies early, keeping your panel current and up to date with less effort.
The Roster Reconciliation Toolkit includes an intuitive HTML-based tool, developed by Dr. Kevin Brophy and Dr. Alex Duong, to streamline a comparative review of EMR and Ministry of Health roster data, making it easier to review, reconcile, and maintain an accurate patient panel.
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! Check out the OMD Advisors’ tools, toolkits and other useful resources at OMDEducates.com.
From the General Counsel and CPO
Privacy compliance: more than just managing breaches
The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) recently held a PHIPA workshop, which provided valuable updates on the evolving privacy compliance landscape for health information custodians.
The session highlighted recent legislative and regulatory developments under PHIPA, practical tools for strengthening privacy programs, and important lessons from recent court and tribunal decisions—including the growing use of administrative monetary penalties as an enforcement tool. Recently, the IPC issued its second administrative monetary penalty against a Health Information Custodian. In PHIPA Decision 334, the IPC reinforced that custodians must have information practices to protect personal health information in their custody or control and to ensure they also comply with these practices. The decision reflects the IPC’s broader focus on accountability, documentation, and demonstrating reasonable safeguards in practice.
For clinicians, the key takeaway is clear: privacy compliance is no longer just about responding to breaches, but being able to show that appropriate safeguards, policies, and oversight are in place and applied in daily practice. Ongoing privacy training and regular review of clinic practices remain essential in reducing clinicians’ risk and meeting professional obligations. To assist you in meeting your accountability obligations, physicians can take OMD’s complimentary online Privacy & Security Training.
Read more privacy and security tips
OMD in the News
- Read the article, “Tackling a wicked problem through HRM optimization” in Canadian Healthcare Network’s Doctor Daily Newsletter on April 18, on OntarioMD’s progress, together with its partners, to reduce clinicians’ HRM report volumes from hospitals.
- On April 9, OMD’s leadership on AI-CDS tools was mentioned in a Canadian Healthcare Network article, “Trust gap limits AI adoption in primary care”.
- The OMA shared tips from OMD in a collaborative piece, “AI in medicine: a primer for Ontario physicians”, to educate and inform physicians on the use of AI tools in clinical practice, on April 14.
- At the annual Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) Conference on May 13, Dr. Chandi Chandrasena and Dr. Rosemarie Lall, shared the results of its “Survey of AI in Ontario Clinics: Who’s Using It, What’s Blocking It, and What’s Next”, the first of its kind to gather clinician insights on AI use in practice.
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.
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.