Member Alert COVID-19

If you have trouble opening any links please view the email in your browser

IN TODAY'S UPDATE
Testing expanded to include asymptomatic individuals

News and Announcements
OMA launches Digital OMR
Special coverage on COVID-19
Webinar on mental health during COVID-19

Providing Care
Primary care guidance updated
Communications toolkit for physicians
OntarioMD’s HRM delivering COVID-19 test result notifications

Managing your Practice during COVID-19
Opt-out deadline for July Advance Payment Program is June 15

Testing expanded to include asymptomatic individuals

The Ministry of Health announced Sunday that Ontario was expanding its COVID-19 testing strategy to include asymptomatic individuals.

Anyone who is at risk of exposure through their employment (including health-care workers, grocery store employees or other essential workers), or is concerned that they were exposed to COVID-19, now is eligible for testing. This is in addition to the previous guidance, which noted that anyone with at least one COVID symptom was eligible for testing.

The OMA will provide a link to the updated testing guidance document when it becomes available from the Ministry.

Read the letter from the Ministry.
Review the symptoms list.
View a map of Ontario COVID-19 Assessment Centres.

News and Announcements

OMA launches Digital OMR

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Ontario Medical Review digital edition! Accessible via the OMA “News & Events” webpage, Digital OMR features information designed to enrich members’ experience, and to enhance content appearing in the six annual print editions of the magazine.

Special coverage on COVID-19

The print OMR and the inaugural May/June digital issue includes special COVID-19 coverage highlighting some of the ways the pandemic has impacted physicians. From easing the psychological burden of managing patients with COVID-19; to initiatives that show how physicians and medical students have demonstrated solidarity across the system; to putting palliative care expertise within reach of every physician; implementing virtual tools to support patient care; and more!

View the new Digital OMR.

Members will receive the May/June print OMR in the mail this week.

Webinar on mental health during COVID-19

Registration is still open for the webinar on mental health in the COVID-19 pandemic. The free webinar will take place on June 6 from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and all health-care professionals are invited to attend. The University of Toronto will provide CME credits to members who attend. So far 1,100 people have already registered.
The webinar will be hosted Dr. Frank Sommers. OMA President Dr. Samantha Hill will give opening comments. During the webinar, participants will learn about serving the mental health needs of people and communities impacted by COVID-19 and treating stress in the context of COVID-19.

View event details
View the program
Register

Providing Care

Primary care guidance updated

The Ministry of Health released updated guidance for primary care providers in community settings on Friday. The OMA provided substantial review, the majority of which was incorporated.

The updated guidance recommends that providers wear a procedure mask and consider using eye protection with all patients, and to wear a procedure mask when working in areas of the office where physical distancing cannot be maintained. When examining patients who screen positive for COVID-19, members should continue to use full droplet and contact precautions (mask, eye protection, gown and gloves).

The guidance also recommends that providers who are unexpectedly faced with a symptomatic patient and do not have the proper PPE, may divert care appropriately (to an emergency department for testing and urgent medical attention, or to an assessment centre for testing if the underlying reason for the visit can be deferred.)

Finally, the updated guidance continues to emphasize that in-office care should be limited to essential visits, as determined by the primary care provider’s clinical judgement. Practical suggestions for how to minimize exposure risks for in-person care are also provided, including suggestions for physical office set-up and patient flow.

View the updated guidance.

Communications toolkit for physicians

The COVID-19 pandemic has created difficult and unprecedented challenges for physicians and their patients across Ontario. We have developed a COVID-19 communications kit that provides useful tips and information to help you talk about COVID-19, whether you are working in a hospital, seeing patients in your own practice (in-person or virtually), or working in another setting. This kit, which will be regularly updated and expanded, includes tips on how to:

Talk to patients and families about difficult topics related to COVID-19
Connect with patients virtually
Talk to colleagues you are concerned about
Respond if the media contacts you

Access the toolkit.

OntarioMD’s HRM delivering COVID-19 test result notifications

OntarioMD’s digital health service, Health Report Manager, is delivering COVID-19 notifications to physicians’ electronic medical records to tell them that Ontario Laboratories Information System test results are in. This prevents physicians from checking for results unnecessarily when they are not available. The prompt to check for results means physicians can act faster to manage COVID-19 or relieve the anxiety of patients who test negative. HRM also delivers discharge information from hospitals that are COVID-19 assessment centres to EMRs. This is in addition to the 2 million other reports per month it delivers from more than 500 hospital and specialty clinic sites across Ontario to EMRs whenever patients are discharged. Reports that are COVID-19 related are clearly identified to get physicians’ attention.

More information is available in the OMD news release.

If you use a certified EMR and would like to connect to HRM or OLIS, please contact OntarioMD at support@ontariomd.com.

Managing Your Practice During COVID-19

Opt-out deadline for July Advance Payment Program is June 15

The Ministry of Health deadline for accepting opt-out requests for the July payment is end-of-day June 15. To opt out, contact the Ministry’s Service Support Contact Centre at 1-800-262-6524 or SSContactCentre.MOH@ontario.ca. Physicians who received advance payments for May and/or June but still wish to opt out can return their payment to the Ministry.

Details on how to do this can be found in our FAQ.

PHP invites you to drop in to a safe space for a virtual chat. Support one another during COVID-19. Online every weekday between noon-1 p.m. Learn More.

For the latest information, keep visiting us at:

oma.org/coronavirus

We value your feedback! Let us know how we’re doing.

Practice & Professional Support

Health System & Advocacy

Member Advantages

Negotiations

Your Association

News & Events

Legal
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
OMA Disability & Community Involvement
Accessibility
Cookies

Contact Us

Connect