Our most recent Ocean feature release included an update that allows an Ocean user to seamlessly switch between Ocean Sites on different EMRs, while retaining single sign-on (SSO) with each of their EMR user accounts. This update ensures that Ocean "remembers" the unique Ocean User-to-EMR User Account relationship for SSO and eliminates the need for an individual to maintain multiple Ocean accounts.
Shared Ocean User Account Issues
While every Ocean User is required to have a unique user account and login, it has come to our attention that some Ocean Users have been "sharing" a single Ocean username and password. As a result, some of these users are now unable to launch into Ocean from the EMR to manage patient activity in the portal, send or manage eReferrals, or send messages to patients.
Clinics that are in this situation should follow the steps below to resolve this issue:
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Invite all team members to create a free Ocean user account connected to your Ocean Site:
- This can be done by an existing Ocean Site Admin by navigating to: Menu > Admin > Users > Invite Users to Site. Detailed instructions can be found here.
- This will allow these users to launch Ocean from the EMR to see patient activity, create, view and update referrals, and manage website forms. If the user is granted Site Admin access, they will also be able to view and configure admin settings in Ocean.
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If more than one person is sending Patient Messages using a single Ocean User Account:
We are very pleased to share that we will be releasing a new feature that will allow an unlimited number of MOA team members to send messages with their own Ocean user account at no additional cost, as long as their Ocean Site has one or more Provider Message licences enabled. This feature is expected to be available as of Friday, February 9 2024.
If your clinic has been sharing a single licence for patient messages, you should:
- Enable all healthcare providers with their own licence(s).
- Enable a Primary Delegate for your licensed user (note - this is limited 1 additional user).
- If multiple support staff (e.g., nurses, MOAs, etc) are sending messages on behalf of a single healthcare provider, you can continue to send messages directly from the Ocean Portal (details below) using the existing shared login until February 9. At that time, all users should switch to a unique user account. Please note this is considered a temporary allowable work-around in order to support users through this transition with minimal disruption.
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If you require support through this process:
Please complete the form at ocean.tips/account-review and an Ocean Practice Consultant will follow up to schedule a meeting time at your convenience.
Sending Messages from the Ocean Portal
If you are logging into the Ocean Portal to send Ocean Messages, please follow the steps below:
- From the Patients page, use the 'Find Patients' option on the left to locate the patient you would like to send a message to.
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- Type the patient's surname in the input box, and select the 'with surname' option.
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If the patient is not already found in Ocean using the surname search, you can manually upload them using their PHN.
Start by locating the patient's healthcard number in your EMR. Copy this number and paste it in the 'Upload from EMR' field, and then click the blue upload icon.
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- Once you've found your patient in Ocean, click on their name. A window will appear where you can click 'Email Patient'. This will open the secure messaging feature of Ocean.
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- Compose your email or select from your templates list and click 'Send' to send your secure message to your patient.
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