Project AMPLIFI is creating safer transitions of care for vulnerable populations transferred between hospital and long-term care homes.
HAMILTON, ON, November 20, 2023 – St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton is leading the way in Ontario in creating more seamless, safe and faster transitions in care for vulnerable older adults moving between hospitals and long-term care. Health information is shared bi-directionally through Project AMPLIFI, a province-wide clinical data integration initiative funded by the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health, and being led by St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. More than 36 hospitals are already involved with plans to include 485 long-term care homes.
Healthcare facilities in Ontario often operate different digital health record systems. For patients transferred between these healthcare institutions, the lack of standardization can result in paper-based transfer of information, manual re-entry of notes and potential delays in relaying and acting on important medical information. Project AMPLIFI leverages software to provide a secure digital link between participating hospitals and long-term care homes to ensure clear, accurate information flows quickly and easily between the two healthcare institutions when transferring patients, to reduce the potential for delays or errors in care.
The intent of Project AMPLIFI is to improve health outcomes for older adults transferred between hospital and long-term care homes. Having this integrated care coordination platform can reduce the potential for medication errors, difficulties in obtaining an accurate diagnosis, delays in treatment and care, and readmissions to hospital for this high-risk population. In fact, Project AMPLIFI will be measuring success in improving those results for older patients as part of the project mandate, with early feedback suggesting this is an essential step towards an integrated healthcare system, contributing to safer patient care and provider experience.
Project AMPLIFI stemmed from a September 2020 pilot project at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton was the first Canadian use of the clinical data integration initiative which was developed by PointClickCare. During the pilot, PointClickCare’s technology, enabling meaningful collaboration and access to real‐time insights, was utilized to transmit a patient’s data during transitions between the hospital and a long-term care home resulting in better care coordination. The bi-directional flow of information reduced the potential for medication errors and enabled faster treatment for the patient.
Following the success of the pilot project, the Ontario government infused $22 million to expand the project to create Project AMPLIFI. Trillium Health Partners was the first hospital to be brought live as part of Project AMPLIFI on September 15, 2022, and is currently integrated with 16 long-term care homes within their network.
In total, 73 hospitals across the province are expected to be integrated with their regional network of long-term care homes, with 36 of those integrations complete today. Project AMPLIFI will eventually support upwards of 35,000 patient transfers between all Ontario hospitals and long-term care homes. St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton is collaborating with PointClickCare and hospital information system vendors Epic, MEDITECH, and Oracle Health to integrate Ontario hospitals and long-term care homes.
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“Digital health solutions are an essential part of our government’s plan to better connect patients to convenient care close to home and improve their health care experience,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “I’ve had the opportunity to see first-hand the work that Project AMPLIFI does to enable more seamless transitions for patients and better coordination between hospitals and long-term care homes. Continuing to invest in Project AMPLIFI will ensure patients receive the most appropriate care, where and when they need it, for generations to come.”
“As our government fixes long-term care and builds homes for seniors in the communities they helped build, transitioning a senior from hospital to a long-term care home safely is vitally important,” said Stan Cho, Minister of Long-Term Care. “Project AMPLIFI’s work to ensure accurate flow of information and reduce potential errors supports our commitment to offer seniors faster, more convenient access to the services they need and deserve.”
“Our healthcare system faced unprecedented challenges that the pilot project was able to address using state-of-the-art Canadian technology”, says Tara Coxon, Vice-President & Chief Information Officer for St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. “The more information we share, the safer the treatment for patients and the more efficient our healthcare providers' workflows become. We’re grateful for the government’s support in turning innovative ideas into Canadian success stories.”
For more information please visit www.amplifiontario.ca.