eDOCSNL Staff Resource Page

Program Foundation and Policies
How was eDOCSNL formed and why?
eDOCSNL is the NL Provincial Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Program. Founded in 2015, the EMR Program exists to support providers with achieving increased clinical value by leveraging the intelligent features of the EMR. The mature use of the solution will provide the province with information for health planning and patients with better health outcomes by providing clinical decision support to providers.
The program was founded by the DHCS, NLMA and (then) NLCHI using the principles outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding.
Does the program have any policies I should be aware of?
Yes, the program has its own governance that approves policies proposed by program leadership. All staff are expected to be familiar with these policies. At the same time, we are all NLHS employees and subject to the policies of the organization. These policies are out of scope for this page. Currently active eDOCSNL policies include:
Collection of Outstanding EMR Subscription Fees – Outlines the measures the program will take when users do not pay their subscription fees
Costs Associated With After Hours Training – Details the cost incurred by the user for after hours training
Clinic Visits During Adverse Weather – Establishes the authority of the program to cancel training and support events in inclement weather
Abandoned EMR Data – Outlines the steps the program will take when a custodian abandons their EMR records
Patient Electronic Results Received in Error – Advises users of steps to take when they receive an electronic result (lab ,DI, etc.) that does not belong to them
Deployment Cancellation – Outlines fees that may be assessed to clinics that cancel deployment with no or short notice
On Site Activities (During an Infectious Disease Outbreak) – Establishes the on site safety standards expected for eDOCSNL support or training activities during outbreaks
Deployment – Outlines the program’s prioritization process for deployment and training activities
Forms – Provides clarity for the type of forms that eDOCSNL will build and deploy provincially
Private Clinic Deployments – Establishes cost expectations for deployment and support for purely private-pay clinics
Clinician Honorarium Policy – Establishes the parameters for eDOCSNL provider honorarium payments
Maintaining Access for EMR Subscribers – Enables eDOCSNL to protect end users from interference with access to the EMR by other users
Are there documents that outline the EMR back end Data Extract?
As part of the eDOCSNL strategic plan, a subset of data elements will be extracted from provincial EMRs and sent to the NLCHI data warehouse. The EMR Management Committee has approved an Information Management Framework policy for the use and disclosure of EMR Data which specifies the data elements that can be disclosed, who they may be disclosed to, the purposes for which the data may be disclosed, and any appropriate limitations on use of data. Click here to access the Framework. The specific data elements (available here) have been reviewed and approved by the EMR Management Committee. This list will be expanded as more data elements are approved for extract from all EMR instances in Newfoundland and Labrador.
A one pager on the EMR dat extract was sent to all Providers participating in eDOCSNL.
Operational Processes
What does it cost to use eDOCSNL in a clinic?
Providers who directly bill patients for services are required to pay a subscription fee. The monthly fee is currently $200 for Nurse Practitioners and $145 for Allied Health professionals, and is subject to change as deemed necessary by the EMR Management Committee. The program is heavily subsidized by the Provincial Government so that providers who are part of the publicly funded Provincial health care system pay no deployment or ongoing support fees. There are additional enhancements and third-party add-ons that may have cost in addition to the basic monthly subscription fees (e.g., eFax, virtual video visits). Unless communicated otherwise, these are not covered by eDOCSNL and will have to be paid directly to Telus.
When will I receive an invoice?
Invoices will be issued at the beginning of each fiscal for subscribers. We will work with you for a payment arrangement that suits your needs. Financial statements can be provided on request.
How can I pay my bill?
Currently the payment methods available include paying by check or by Pre-Authorized Debit (PAD).
The PAD form can be found below. These can be submitted to: Accounts.Receivable@nlchi.nl.ca
Program Agreements
What agreements do Fee For Service providers sign when the join the program?
FFS providers sign the Physician Participation Agreement. There was an amendment to this agreement when the EMR data moved to the AWS cloud, this amendment is included here.
A one pager informing physicians of the changes to the agreement was circulated and can be found here.
What agreements do FFS providers who are deploying to NLHS EMR instances sign?
FFS on NLHS providers sign the FFS on NLHS EMR Agreement. This agreement supercedes all previous agreements and includes the amendment that was made to the original agreement when the EMR data was moved to the AWS cloud.
Do NLHS employees onboarding to EMR require an agreement?
No. Generally speaking. employees will be onboarded through a request from their manager and through the usual HTDM form access process. In cases where the access level required is not clear and/or there are concerns as to whether the employee actually needs access to do their work, these requests should be evaluated through the NLHS EMR Committee.
The NLHS EMR Committee Terms of Reference can be found here.
Do Nurse Providers (e.g. NPs) who onboard to the the program need to sign an agreement?
Only if the practice setting is outside NLHS facilities/services and patients are paying for the service out of pocket. In this case, the Nurse Provider would need to sign this agreement. They will also need to sign this amendment, similar to the case of the FFS Physician Agreement.
Are there scenarios in which a clinician would need to sign more than one agreement?
Yes, if a clinician is working in both NLHS and independent environments they need to sign both agreements. For example, if a FFS physician works part time in a Family Care Team and the remainder of their practice is conducted in an independent clinic on its own instance, then they will need to sign both agreements.
General Billing
What should I do if I plan to retire or move?
Retiring from practice can be a daunting and confusing process, adding the EMR layer to this makes it even more complex. While there are professional and medicolegal elements to this transition into which we have limited insight, we can help you with making decisions regarding what to do with your EMR. Your first step in this process is filling out this Provider Termination Form. For more information on retiring from an EMR based practice, please review this document. For information related to moving from one clinic to another, refer to this document.
I am using an EMR in my current clinic but am planning to move. What should I do?
Please fill out this Provider Transfer Form and contact us at info@edocsnl.ca for more information. There are some potential professional responsibilities involved in this as well including notifying NLHS of your move so they can update your address and, depending on the nature of your move, implications for custodianship of your patient records. For more information on this, we would advise you to contact your licensing body.
I am a locum; how do I get access to the clinic’s EMR?
The system administrator in the clinic can set this up and delegate an existing provider license within the EMR instance for your use. If you or the clinic need any help with this, please reach out to info@edocsnl.ca.
Blended Capitation
Who do I contact for technical support?
EMR support is provided by a combination of the vendor and the program and varies between practice settings. Please see the support resources page here.
Where can I find resources and training material?
There are many resources available on our website here and Telus has many support resources available in its online help features. In addition, the user community is also very self-supportive, and this can be accessed through the community portal functionality in the software. If you need help with resources or training material you cannot locate through one of these methods, please reach out to info@edocsnl.ca.
Is there training available?
Yes. The vendor can provide formal training and eDOCSNL program staff can supplement this with additional training and on specific features, workflow optimization, mature use, and many other needs. Please reach out to us at info@edocsnl.ca with all your training requests, we are here to assist you.
eResults
What are eResults? What results can I review electronically?
eResults refers to the direct delivery of electronic results to your EMR. There are a few results that do not get delivered to any electronic system (e.g., ER visit records) but in theory any result that is delivered to HEALTHeNL could be delivered to your EMR. Most providers choose not to receive everything in their EMR but there is a minimum standard for results delivery that apply across all provider groups. For example, everyone receives the results on which they are designated as ordering provider. If you have questions about the results you receive or would like to receive more than the minimum standard, please contact us at info@edocsnl.ca. For more information on eResults please see this page.
Practice 360
What is Practice 360?
Practice 360 is an ongoing eDOCSNL initiative designed to increase clinical value and practice efficiencies in the EMR for providers in Newfoundland and Labrador. The initiative will not only support guidelines-based care of chronic disease and national screening and preventive care strategies but also provide tools to better understand your practice. The EMR tools deployed through the initiative will be accompanied by training materials and media to ensure users are familiar with how to access and use them most effectively.
Practice 360 aligns with the eDOCSNL Strategic Plan by leveraging the intelligent and standardized features of the EMR to support and evaluate guidelines based and preventive care, presenting providers with the information they need for best practice decision making. Data provided by the EMR through the Practice 360 tools will enable the evaluation and refinement of guidelines and supports health system changes that will benefit all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
PrescribeIT
Is eDOCSNL secure?
eDOCSNL uses TELUS Health’s Med Access, a robust EMR software. It was designed specifically for use over the Internet and is presented via a modern web browser.
TELUS also provides rigorous data management with back-up to professionally managed, redundant TELUS data centres so a physician does not have to worry about back-ups or disaster recovery.
Is patient information kept private? Who can access the information in my EMR?
Physicians can restrict access to a patient’s information to those who provide or assist in the patient’s care and treatment. All users require a password to access eDOCSNL and the system keeps a record of each time a profile is accessed, including when and by whom. Patients can request to see a copy of these records at any time.
As part of the eDOCSNL strategic plan, a subset of data elements will be extracted from provincial EMRs and sent to the NLCHI data warehouse. The EMR Management Committee has approved an Information Management Framework policy for the use and disclosure of EMR Data which specifies the data elements that can be disclosed, who they may be disclosed to, the purposes for which the data may be disclosed, and any appropriate limitations on use of data. Click here to access the Framework. The specific data elements (available here) have been reviewed and approved by the EMR Management Committee. This list will be expanded as more data elements are approved for extract from all EMR instances in Newfoundland and Labrador.
SNOMED-CT
Is eDOCSNL secure?
eDOCSNL uses TELUS Health’s Med Access, a robust EMR software. It was designed specifically for use over the Internet and is presented via a modern web browser.
TELUS also provides rigorous data management with back-up to professionally managed, redundant TELUS data centres so a physician does not have to worry about back-ups or disaster recovery.
Is patient information kept private? Who can access the information in my EMR?
Physicians can restrict access to a patient’s information to those who provide or assist in the patient’s care and treatment. All users require a password to access eDOCSNL and the system keeps a record of each time a profile is accessed, including when and by whom. Patients can request to see a copy of these records at any time.
As part of the eDOCSNL strategic plan, a subset of data elements will be extracted from provincial EMRs and sent to the NLCHI data warehouse. The EMR Management Committee has approved an Information Management Framework policy for the use and disclosure of EMR Data which specifies the data elements that can be disclosed, who they may be disclosed to, the purposes for which the data may be disclosed, and any appropriate limitations on use of data. Click here to access the Framework. The specific data elements (available here) have been reviewed and approved by the EMR Management Committee. This list will be expanded as more data elements are approved for extract from all EMR instances in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Cheat Sheets and Checklists
Is eDOCSNL secure?
eDOCSNL uses TELUS Health’s Med Access, a robust EMR software. It was designed specifically for use over the Internet and is presented via a modern web browser.
TELUS also provides rigorous data management with back-up to professionally managed, redundant TELUS data centres so a physician does not have to worry about back-ups or disaster recovery.
Is patient information kept private? Who can access the information in my EMR?
Physicians can restrict access to a patient’s information to those who provide or assist in the patient’s care and treatment. All users require a password to access eDOCSNL and the system keeps a record of each time a profile is accessed, including when and by whom. Patients can request to see a copy of these records at any time.
As part of the eDOCSNL strategic plan, a subset of data elements will be extracted from provincial EMRs and sent to the NLCHI data warehouse. The EMR Management Committee has approved an Information Management Framework policy for the use and disclosure of EMR Data which specifies the data elements that can be disclosed, who they may be disclosed to, the purposes for which the data may be disclosed, and any appropriate limitations on use of data. Click here to access the Framework. The specific data elements (available here) have been reviewed and approved by the EMR Management Committee. This list will be expanded as more data elements are approved for extract from all EMR instances in Newfoundland and Labrador.