Med Access EMR Integration Troubleshooting

The table below outlines common issues and solutions that users may experience when integrating their Med Access EMR with Ocean.

Common Error Solution
The “Mobile Settings” option is not visible on the Profile dashboard window Ensure that the EMR user has Administrative Privileges enabled so that they can view and access this section. Ask another Clinical Administrator to view this page to verify.
The “Ocean Module” is not available in the Integration Management section

Ensure that the EMR user has Administrative Privileges enabled so that they can view and access this section. Ask another Clinical Administrator to view this page to verify.

If the module is not there for any users, verify with TELUS if it has been properly installed.

Cloud Connect returns an error when the EMR Instance ID and EMR Secret are entered

These are case sensitive. Ensure that you are doing a direct copy and paste from the Ocean module in the EMR to Cloud Connect.

The system will treat spaces as additional characters. Ensure that there are no trailing spaces, at the end of either value or leading space at the start.

One or more providers are not appearing in the Cloud Connect settings Ensure that you are expecting to see a list of Provider Schedules, not individual user accounts in the EMR. If one or more Providers are not appearing on the list Ocean is accessing, this will need to be escalated to TELUS for further investigation and support.
Cloud Connect returns an error message in the “Sync Status” panel when trying to complete an initial sync with the EMR

This will depend on the exact error message displayed; the error may be specific to the EMR Server or to Ocean.

To troubleshoot, take a screenshot of the error message and submit a Support Ticket for the Ocean Support Team to review. The Support Team will either provide guidance for resolving the issue or will recommend that it be escalated to TELUS.

The “Launch” button is not visible in a patient’s chart Ensure that Google Chrome is the browser being used. If you are already using Google Chrome, ensure that there are no ad-blockers or extensions installed that could interfere.

Ocean-MA Extension FAQ

What is the Ocean-MA Extension?

The Ocean-MA Extension is an open source web browser extension for Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. Med Access EMR users can take advantage of this extension to support more seamless and efficient workflows when using the Ocean Provider Network.

Please note that the extension is not currently supported or tested by Ocean for use with Ocean Patient Engagement tools (including Patient Messages).

The extension provides a streamlined way to include file attachments from a patient chart into an Ocean eReferral/eConsult, without needing to download the file onto the user's hard drive. This eliminates the need to download, attach, and manually delete attachments from your computer to protect patient health information.

Additionally, the extension streamlines the process for adjusting Ocean eReferral Tasks into the appropriate Task 'Category' and 'Type' in Med Access.

How do I install the Ocean-MA Extension?

The Ocean-MA Extension can be installed into both Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers directly from the Chrome Webstore by clicking the button below.

Ocean-MA Extension

  • Press the 'Add to Chrome' button on the webstore page.

    Note: Microsoft Edge users will see the button labeled as 'Get'.

  • Confirm the installation of the extension by pressing 'Add extension' in the popup window.

How do I use the Ocean-MA Extension?

  • When viewing or generating an attachment within a Med Access patient chart, users can press the Ocean icon to name and queue the file for attachment in an Ocean eReferral/eConsult.
  • A common example is to generate and attach a PDF version of the Chart Summary as shown below:
  • From within a patient chart, press the 'Summary' button in the top right corner.
  • Use the checkboxes on the left to select the parts of the patient chart you would like to include as an attachment, and then press the 'Print' button in the top right corner to generate a PDF of your selection.
  • Press the 'Chart Summary' option to simply capture the information shown in the Chart Summary window.

    Alternatively, press the 'Chart Summary (with Attachments)' option to capture the information shown in the Chart Summary window along with any files that are already attached to the selected chart items.

  • A new window will automatically open containing a generated PDF version of your selection. Press the Ocean icon in the top right corner.
  • Enter a name for your file attachment and then press 'OK' to queue the attachment for use in Ocean.
  • When filling out the eReferral/eConsult form, you will be automatically prompted to include the queued attachment(s).

    Press 'OK' to confirm you would like to include the attachment(s).

  • Preview the attachment at the bottom of the referral form using the purple eye icon before sending your eReferral/eConsult.

Can I include an attachment from other areas of the patient's chart?

Yes - the Ocean-MA Extension icon may appear in PDF viewing windows that are accessible through other areas of Med Access. Users may prefer to incorporate other workflows that take advantage of this feature. Please note that attachments should never be selected directly from the Import Pool for attachment to a referral. 

A few examples of other common areas are provided below:

Note: This is not an exhaustive list of all areas in which the extension can be used.

Investigation Attachments
Investigation Reports
Lab Attachments
Lab Reports

Can I include multiple attachments?

Yes - the Ocean-MA Extension supports inclusion of multiple file attachments.

  • Simply use the Ocean icon to queue the different attachments from within the patient chart, and then you will be automatically prompted to include all of the queued attachments in Ocean.
  • Attachments will be ordered in the same sequence in which they were queued.
  • Note: The Ocean-MA Extension automatically prevents the upload of duplicate file attachments.

Can I use the extension to include attachments if I have already initiated my eReferral/eConsult in Ocean?

Yes - if you have already initiated and partially filled out the referral form in Ocean but forgot to include your attachment(s), you can return to the patient chart in Med Access and queue your desired attachment(s).

  • Once you have queued the attachments in Med Access, simply return to your partially complete referral form, and press the 'Add Attachments' button near the bottom of the form to prompt the attachment confirmation pop-up window.
  • Press 'OK' to include your queued attachment(s).
  • The attachment(s) will be included at the bottom of the referral form.

Can I use the extension to add attachments to an eReferral/eConsult that I have already sent?

Yes - the Ocean-MA Extension supports adding attachments to an eReferral/eConsult that has already been sent.

  • After queuing the desired attachments from the patient chart in Med Access, press the 'Launch' button.
  • Locate the Ocean module and press 'View Patient'.
  • Select the relevant eReferral/eConsult to open it.
  • You will be automatically prompted to include the queued attachments. Press 'OK' to confirm you would like to include the attachments.
  • The attachment(s) will be automatically included within the 'Messaging' area of the referral.

    Press the purple eye to preview the attachment, type an optional message in the text box, and then press 'Send' to send the attachment (and message) to the recipient.

Do queued attachments have an expiry timer?

No - there is no time-based expiry for queued attachments. The attachment queue is automatically cleared when any one of the following actions are taken:

  • The patient chart changes in the Med Access EMR
  • The web browser session ends
  • The 'Send eReferral' button at the bottom of the referral form is pressed
  • The 'Send' button within the 'Messaging' area of an existing eReferral/eConsult is pressed
  • The 'Save' button within an existing eReferral/eConsult is pressed
  • The 'Save & Close' button within an existing eReferral/eConsult is pressed

Ocean Task Category and Type Conversion

The Ocean-MA extension also streamlines the process for adjusting Ocean eReferral Tasks into the appropriate Task 'Category' and 'Type' in Med Access.

  • When an Ocean eReferral/eConsult is sent or accepted, a PDF copy of the referral record is automatically added as a new 'Attachment' Task in the relevant patient chart in Med Access.
  • After opening the Task, the Ocean-MA extension automatically adjusts the Task 'Category' and 'Type' based on the details in the Task Description.

  • After reviewing the changes and making any other necessary adjustments to the Task, click 'Save'.
  • Once saved, the Task is automatically categorized into the 'Active Requests' section of the corresponding 'Consults' or 'Investigations' area of the patient chart.

Advanced Notes: Task Category and Type Conversion

  • The automatic conversion in Step B will not occur for all Ocean-generated Tasks. The conversion only occurs when the following initial criteria are met within the opened Task:
    • The 'Description' of the opened Task begins with 'Ocean eReferral -'.
    • The initial 'Category' of the opened Task is 'Attachment' or 'Progress Note'.
  • Tasks for referrals with Health Service Offerings related to Diagnostic Imaging will cause the 'Category' to be set to 'Investigation'. All other Health Service Offerings will set the 'Category' to 'Consult'.
  • When updating the Task 'Type', the extension performs a best-effort match between the Health Service Offering of the referral and the list of default 'Types' that are supplied within Med Access. If a match cannot be found, the 'Type' field will not be updated. A complete table of the value mappings can be found at the bottom of this article.
  • To ensure that the Task is categorized as an 'Active Request' upon saving, the extension updates the 'Order Type' value of the Task's Observation Template to 'Request'. This change is not visible within the Task user interface.
Ocean 'Health Service Offering' to Med Access 'Type' Mappings

When the Ocean-MA Extension performs the best-effort match between the Health Service Offering (HSO) on the referral and the default 'Types' that are supplied within Med Access, it assesses the HSO to see if it contains a term included in the 'Ocean Health Service Offering Contains' column below. If the extension finds a match, it sets the 'Type' value within the Task to the respective value in the 'Med Access Consult/Investigation Type' column below. The first match going down the list is used.

For example, if the Ocean HSO contains either the term "allergy" or "immunolog", the the Med Access Task 'Type' will be set to "Clinical Immunology and Allergy".

Ocean HSO → Consult Type Mappings
Ocean Health Service Offering Contains Med Access Consult Type
adolescent Adolescent Pediatrics
pathology Anatomical Pathology
anesthesia, anaesthesia Anesthesia
anesthesiology, anaesthesiology Anesthesiology
cardiolog Cardiology
cardiovascular Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
allergy, immunolog Clinical Immunology and Allergy
pharmacolog Clinical Pharmacology
colorectal surgery Colorectal Surgery
dermatology Dermatology
diabetes education Diabetes Team Educator
radiology Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiology
dietitian Dietitian Assessment
emergency medicine Emergency Medicine
endocrinology Endocrinology and Metabolism
emergency ER Report
gastroenterology Gastroenterology
pathology General Pathology
family medicine General Practitioner
general surgery General Surgery
surgical oncology General Surgical Oncology
geriatric Geriatric Medicine
gynecologic oncology Gynecologic Oncology
fertility Gynecologic Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
hematology Hematology
respiratory therapy Home Oxygen
hospital discharge Hospital Discharge Summary
infectious disease Infectious Disease
internal medicine Internal Medicine
maternal fetal medicine Maternal-Fetal Medicine
medical biochemistry Medical Biochemistry
genetics Medical Genetics
microbiology Medical Microbiology
oncology Medical Oncology
mental health Mental Health Assessment
neonat Neonatal Perinatal Medicine
nephrology Nephrology
neurodiagnostic Neurodiagnostic
neurology Neurology
neuropathology Neuropathology
neuroradiology Neuroradiology
neurosurgery Neurosurgery
nuclear medicine Nuclear Medicine
obstetrics, gynecology Obstetrics and Gynecology
occupational medicine Occupational Medicine
ophthalmology Ophthalmology
or report OR Report
orthopedic, orthopaedic Orthopaedic Surgery
pediatric cardiology Paediatric Cardiology
pediatrics Paediatrics
palliative medicine, palliative care specialist Palliative Medicine
pediatric emergency Pediatric Emergency Medicine
pediatric general surgery, pediatric surgery Pediatric General Surgery
pediatric intensive care Pediatric Intensive Care
pediatric respirology Pediatric Pulmonology
pediatric radiology Pediatric Radiology
pediatric rheumatology Pediatric Rheumatology
pediatric respira Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine
pharmacist Pharmacist Assessment
physiatry, physical medicine Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation
plastic surgery Plastic Surgery
psychiatry Psychiatry
public health Public Health
respirology, pulmonary medicine, asthma Pulmonary Medicine
radiation oncology Radiation Oncology
respirology Respirology
rheumatology Rheumatology
nurse, nursing RN Assessment
therapeutic/interventional radiology, therapeutic radiology, interventional radiology Therapeutic Radiology
thoracic surgery Thoracic Surgery
urology Urology
vascular surgery Vascular Surgery
thoracic, cardiothoracic Cardio & Thoracic
chiropract Chiropractors
dental surg Dental Surgeons
laboratory procedur Laboratory Procedures
massage therapy Massage Practitioner
naturopath Naturopaths
optometry, optometrist Optometrist
oral medicine, dentistry Oral Medicine
oral surge Oral Surgeons
orthodontist Orthodontists
orthopedic, orthopaedic Orthopaedics
orthoptic Orthoptic
osteopath Osteopathy
otolaryngolog, audiology Otolaryngology
physical therap, physiotherapy Physical Therapists
podiatrist, podiatry Podiatrists
procedural cardiologist Procedural Cardiologist
radiology Radiology

Note: There are no Ocean Health Service Offering terms that map to the following Med Access Consult Types:

Cardiac Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Clinical Immunology, Clinician Investigator Program, Community Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, Hematological Pathology, Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Clinical Immunization and Allergy

Ocean HSO → Investigation Type Mappings
Ocean Health Service Offering Contains Med Access Investigation Type
angiogram Angio/Interventional
colposcopy Colposcopy
echocardiog Echocardiography Lab
genetic Genetic
holter Holter Monitor
eeg Neurology Electrodiagnostic
pulmonary function test, pft Pulmonary Function Test
doppler Vascular Lab Study
bone densit, bone mineral densit Bone Density
mammogram, mammography, breast ultrasound Breast Imaging
muga, stress test, ecg Cardiac
ct CT Scan
pap Gynecological
mammogram Mammogram
mri, magnetic resonance, mrcp MRI
nuclear medicine, bone scan Nuclear Medicine
respiratory, bronch Respiratory
endoscop, colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, gastroscopy, egd, ercp Scopes
sleep stud Sleep Studies
ultrasound Ultrasound
x-ray, fluoroscop X-Ray

Note: There is no Ocean Health Service Offering term that maps to the 'Neurology' Med Access Investigation Type.


Ocean Note Tasks

Clinics can control whether certain Ocean notes enter the Med Access EMR as either Active or Completed tasks. Ocean admin users can control this setting in Cloud Connect (for details on Cloud Connect settings, please refer to Customize your Cloud Connect Configuration).

Note: The behaviour and logic documented below is accurate for when the 'Automatically Import Attachments to EMR' Cloud Connect setting is enabled.

Patient Messaging & Reminders

Tasks recording secure message sends from a user at your clinic will always enter Med Access as Completed and assigned to the "ApiAgent" user in Med Access.

Tasks recording patients' access of a secure message will always enter Med Access as Completed and assigned to the "ApiAgent" user in Med Access.

Results of eForms sent via Patient Messaging or Patient Reminder can enter Med Access as either Active or Completed, depending on the 'Create encounter notes as' setting in your Cloud Connect configuration.

Patient's typed responses to secure messages can enter Med Access as either Active or Completed, depending on the 'Create encounter notes as' setting in your Cloud Connect configuration.

Patient-submitted file attachments always enter Med Access as an Active Task.

Demographic update notes resulting from eForm completions can enter Med Access as either Active or Completed, depending on the 'Create encounter notes as' setting in your Cloud Connect configuration.

Active Task Assignment Logic

Ocean will assign the Active Task to the 'Primary Provider' listed in the 'Demog' tab of the patient's chart in Med Access.

If no 'Primary Provider' is present in the patient's chart, Ocean will assign the task to the Provider associated with the patient's nearest booked appointment.

If no 'Primary Provider' is present in the patient's chart and the patient does not have any booked appointments, Ocean will assign the Active Task to a Provider in Med Access that contains either the term 'Ocean' or 'CognisantMD' in the name.

If none of the above are available, Ocean will assign the Active Task to the first Provider in the list of all Providers in Med Access.

Website Forms/Patient Authenticated Website Forms

Any webform submission PDF records and Patient Authenticated Website Form attachments are always imported to the EMR as Active Tasks. The assignment logic for which EMR user the Task is assigned to is outlined below.

Active Task Assignment Logic

  • When Ocean generates an Active Task in Med Access for a Website Form or Patient Authenticated Website Form submission, the Task is assigned to the relevant EMR user based on the information in the 'Clinician Information' setting of the Directory Listing that is associated with the Website Form link.

Ocean does this by evaluating the Billing #, Professional ID, and Last Name fields, and assigning the Task to the provider in Med Access that matches at least 2 out of the 3 fields.

If no match is found, Ocean will assign the Active Task to the 'Primary Provider' listed in the 'Demog' tab of the patient's chart in Med Access.

If no 'Primary Provider' is present in the patient's chart, Ocean will assign the task to the Provider associated with the patient's nearest booked appointment.

If no 'Primary Provider' is present in the patient's chart and the patient does not have any booked appointments, Ocean will assign the Active Task to a Provider in Med Access that contains either the term 'Ocean' or 'CognisantMD' in the name.

If none of the above are available, Ocean will assign the Active Task to the first Provider in the list of all Providers in Med Access.

Demographic Updates related to Website Form/Patient Authenticated Website Form Submissions

The Active/Complete state of Tasks related to demographic updates for Website Forms and Patient Authenticated Website Forms is tied to the 'Create encounter notes as' Cloud Connect setting.

If 'Create encounter notes as' is set to 'Active'

  • When the 'Create encounter notes as' setting is set to 'Active', Tasks related to demographic updates will be assigned to the relevant EMR user based on the information in the 'Clinician Information' setting of the Directory Listing that the request was sent to.

Ocean does this by evaluating the Billing #, Professional ID, and Last Name fields, and assigning the Task to the provider in Med Access that matches at least 2 out of the 3 fields.

If no match is found, Ocean will assign the Active Task to the 'Primary Provider' listed in the 'Demog' tab of the patient's chart in Med Access.

If no 'Primary Provider' is present in the patient's chart, Ocean will assign the task to the Provider associated with the patient's nearest booked appointment.

If no 'Primary Provider' is present in the patient's chart and the patient does not have any booked appointments, Ocean will assign the Active Task to a Provider in Med Access that contains either the term 'Ocean' or 'CognisantMD' in the name.

If none of the above are available, Ocean will assign the Active Task to the first Provider in the list of all Providers in Med Access.

If 'Create encounter notes as' is set to 'Complete'

When the 'Create encounter notes as' setting is set to 'Complete', Tasks related to demographic updates will be assigned to the "ApiAgent" user in Med Access.

Online Booking

The Active/Complete state of Tasks generated via Onling Booking (e.g., Booking Form, Post Booking Form, Demographic Updates) is tied to the 'Create encounter notes as' Cloud Connect setting.

If 'Create encounter notes as' is set to 'Active'

If you have configured your Cloud Connect settings to create Active Tasks, Ocean will assign the Active Task to the Provider who's schedule the appointment is booked into.

If 'Create encounter notes as' is set to 'Complete'

If you have configured your Cloud Connect settings to create Complete Tasks, Ocean will assign the Completed Task to the "ApiAgent" user in Med Access.

eReferrals & eConsults

Any eReferral PDF records and included attachments are always imported to the EMR as Active Tasks. The active task assignment logic for which EMR user the Task is assigned to is outlined below for both senders and recipients.

Sending an eReferral/eConsult

  • When an eReferral/eConsult is sent, the Active Task generated in Med Access is assigned to the relevant EMR user based on the information in the 'Referrer's Information' section of the referral form.

Ocean does this by evaluating the Billing #, Professional ID, and Last Name fields, and assigning the Task to the provider in Med Access that matches at least 2 out of the 3 fields.

If no match is found, Ocean will assign the Active Task to the 'Primary Provider' listed in the 'Demog' tab of the patient's chart in Med Access.

If no 'Primary Provider' is present in the patient's chart, Ocean will assign the task to the Provider associated with the patient's nearest booked appointment.

If no 'Primary Provider' is present in the patient's chart and the patient does not have any booked appointments, Ocean will assign the Active Task to a Provider in Med Access that contains either the term 'Ocean' or 'CognisantMD' in the name.

If none of the above are available, Ocean will assign the Active Task to the first Provider in the list of all Providers in Med Access.

Receiving an eReferral/eConsult

  • When Ocean generates an Active Task in Med Access related to a received eReferral/eConsult, the Task is assigned to the relevant EMR user based on the information in the 'Clinician Information' setting of the Directory Listing that the referral was sent to.

Ocean does this by evaluating the Billing #, Professional ID, and Last Name fields, and assigning the Task to the provider in Med Access that matches at least 2 out of the 3 fields.

If no match is found, Ocean will assign the Active Task to the 'Primary Provider' listed in the 'Demog' tab of the patient's chart in Med Access.

If no 'Primary Provider' is present in the patient's chart, Ocean will assign the task to the Provider associated with the patient's nearest booked appointment.

If no 'Primary Provider' is present in the patient's chart and the patient does not have any booked appointments, Ocean will assign the Active Task to a Provider in Med Access that contains either the term 'Ocean' or 'CognisantMD' in the name.

If none of the above are available, Ocean will assign the Active Task to the first Provider in the list of all Providers in Med Access.

Demographic Updates related to eReferrals & eConsults

The Active/Complete state of Tasks related to demographic updates for eReferrals & eConsults is tied to the 'Create encounter notes as' Cloud Connect setting.

If 'Create encounter notes as' is set to 'Active'

  • When the 'Create encounter notes as' setting is set to 'Active', Tasks related to demographic updates will be assigned to to the relevant EMR user based on the information in the 'Clinician Information' setting of the Directory Listing that the referral was sent to.

Ocean does this by evaluating the Billing #, Professional ID, and Last Name fields, and assigning the Task to the provider in Med Access that matches at least 2 out of the 3 fields.

If no match is found, Ocean will assign the Active Task to the 'Primary Provider' listed in the 'Demog' tab of the patient's chart in Med Access.

If no 'Primary Provider' is present in the patient's chart, Ocean will assign the task to the Provider associated with the patient's nearest booked appointment.

If no 'Primary Provider' is present in the patient's chart and the patient does not have any booked appointments, Ocean will assign the Active Task to a Provider in Med Access that contains either the term 'Ocean' or 'CognisantMD' in the name.

If none of the above are available, Ocean will assign the Active Task to the first Provider in the list of all Providers in Med Access.

If 'Create encounter notes as' is set to 'Complete'

When the 'Create encounter notes as' setting is set to 'Complete', Tasks related to demographic updates will be assigned to the "ApiAgent" user in Med Access.


Launching Ocean from your Med Access EMR

Med Access users can launch Ocean directly from a patient's chart.

Launcher Restrictions

The TELUS Launcher is only available with Chrome or Edge browsers.

Please note that Ocean users with access to multiple Ocean sites and EMR instances that are connected to multiple Ocean sites cannot use the TELUS Launcher to access Ocean at this time.

  • Open the patient's chart and access the TELUS Launcher.
  • Under My Extensions, find the 'Ocean' extension module. You'll find different options for launching Ocean:
  • The View Patient button will open the Patient Dashboard in a new tab of your browser. This is the most versatile button as it will pull the patient into Ocean and allow you to interact with them through Ocean (i.e. send a message, queue an eForm, access the Ocean Portal or view their Ocean Reference Number).
  • The View Portal button will open the Ocean Portal in a new tab of your browser. If it's your first time accessing the TELUS launcher through your Med Access EMR, you'll be prompted to sign in. After you've signed in once, you will no longer need to sign in when accessing Ocean through the TELUS launcher.
  • The Add Form button will open the Add Form dialogue of the Patient Dashboard in a new tab of your browser. This allows you to queue a form for the patient and is especially useful for clinics using Ocean tablets. To learn more about Ocean Tablets, please refer to: Basic Tablet Workflow.
  • The Send Appointment Notification button allows you to add scheduled appointment information from Med Access into an Ocean eReferral. For more information, refer to: Scheduling the Referral Appointment.
  • The Send Message button will open the message window in a new tab of your browser. Ocean will automatically pull the email address (if one exists) from the patient's chart in EMR as the recipient. To learn more about Ocean's Secure Patient Messaging, please refer to: Basic Patient Messages Workflow.

Create New Patient in Med Access

Ocean can create new patients in TELUS Med Access EMR, however this new patient will be created with the "Unconfirmed" status. After Ocean has created this new patient, remember to login to your EMR, search the newly created patient and set their status to "Active".