Guide to Sending eConsults

Note for Ontario Users: In Ontario, Ocean eConsults are currently in a limited release. For more information on eConsult in Ontario as part of the Ontario eServices Program, please review the Overview of eConsults in Ontario article.

Initiate Your Ocean eConsult

You can access the Ocean eReferral Network from the link in your EMR (for integrated EMRs) or directly from the Ocean Healthmap to initiate your eConsult.

With an Ocean account, you can initiate an Ocean eConsult at any time directly from the Ocean Healthmap. If you are using an EMR which is integrated with Ocean, you can also initiate an eConsult at any time by following the steps below.

PS Suite Med Access Accuro OSCAR Pro Non-Integrated

Initiate your eConsult (without an attachment)
PS Suite Med Access Accuro OSCAR Pro Non-Integrated
- Click the "Refer" button on the Ocean toolbar in the patient record.
- Press the "Launch" icon from within the patient's chart.
- Locate the "Ocean" extension, and select "View Patient".
- Press the "Send eReferral" button from within the patient's dashboard.
- With your desired patient in context in Accuro, click the "Send eRequest / Find Health Service" global CDS link.
- Alternatively, you can click your equivalent user-friendly CDS link on the action bar.
- Click the 'Refer' button on the Ocean Toolbar.
- Alternatively, click the 'Oc.' shortcut on the relevant patient's appointment from the schedule, and then click 'Find Health Service' on the Ocean eForm.
In a web browser, navigate directly to the Ocean Healthmap.
Initiate your eConsult (with an attachment)
PS Suite Med Access Accuro OSCAR Pro Non-Integrated
Before following the steps in this guide, ensure you have downloaded and installed the latest version of the Ocean Attachment Exporter (click here to download CFM file.) Version 2.0 and above will now upload attachments directly to Ocean instead of exporting them as a file.

Ocean makes it easy to select and "green bar" notes in a patient chart in PS Suite that can be uploaded directly to Ocean. The file can then be automatically included in an eConsult sent through the Ocean Healthmap.

To attach a note from PS Suite to an eConsult:
- Find the note(s) in the patient's chart that you want to generate as a PDF attachment.
- Check the checkbox next to the note to enable the “green bar”.
- Click the Attach link on the Ocean Toolbar.
- This will pop up an input box allowing the user to specify the attachment file name. Rename the file, if desired, and select OK. (By default, the file name will include the patient initials, EMR user initials, and current date).
- A prompt will then appear to confirm that this attachment has been successfully uploaded to Ocean. Select the desired option. (Note, it will not appear if you previously selected "Don't Show This Again", or toggled it off in the Attachment Exporter's custom form settings).
- Select Refer on the Ocean Toolbar to launch the Ocean Healthmap. Choose the desired listing and select to Send eReferral. The attachment will automatically be included at the bottom of the consult form.
- Quick Tip: If you "green bar" an item and then select "Refer" on the Ocean Toolbar to initiate an eConsult, the attachment will automatically get generated to attach to the eConsult (without having to click the "Attach/Paperclip" link). You will need to click "Yes - Create Attachment" on the confirmation prompt, before continuing with step D to F above.
- You can preview your attachment by clicking on the “eye” icon, or remove it by clicking on the “X” icon.
- If you remove an attachment and would like to add it to the eConsult again, select the Add Attachments button at the bottom of the consult form. A list of any attachments uploaded to Ocean for that patient will appear. Choose a file from the list or choose “Select Local File...” to browse for a file on your computer.
To customize the settings of the Ocean Attachment Exporter form:
- Open the Ocean Attachment Exporter form in a test patient chart, and click the Settings button.
- Select "Toggle the Display of the Export Information Message" if you would like to show the user an explanatory message about the attachment, after the upload to Ocean is complete.
- Select "Toggle the Prompt to Export Lab Table" if you would like to be prompted to include the lab table each time an attachment is generated.
- Use the Ocean-MA Extension for Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge to capture the desired attachments from the patient's chart in Med Access.
- Press the "Launch" icon from within the patient's chart.
- Locate the "Ocean" extension, and select "View Patient".
- Press the "Send eReferral" button from within the patient's dashboard.
Prerequisite
- Ensure that you have enabled the 'Save for Ocean button within your Accuro system settings.
- Select the patient in Accuro that you wish to generate an attachment in Ocean for.
- If you do have an Encounter Note Template and corresponding Quick Action Button configured, use your Quick Action Button to create a new Encounter Note.
  
  If you do not have an Encounter Note Template and corresponding Quick Action Button configured, create a new blank Encounter Note in the patient chart.
  
  Tip: You can use the 'CTRL+F11' keyboard shortcut to create a new note from any section of Accuro, as long as you have the patient selected first.
- Specify a filename for your attachment by using the 'Title' field in the bottom left, and then click Generate Letter.
- Ensure you have the correct 'From:' Provider selected in the top left, then go to the Attachments pane and click the green plus icon to add an attachment.
- In the Select Attachments window, choose the items from the patient chart that you would like included, and then select OK.
- The list of selected attachments will appear on the left. Click the 'Save for Ocean' button.
- An Encounter Note and the Generated Letter will be created in the patient chart.
- Use the 'Send eRequest / Find Health Service' CDS link or action button to launch into the Ocean Healthmap.
  
  Ocean will automatically include any unused Generated Letters with the current date as an attachment on your eConsult.
Initiating an eConsult from the 'Consultations' area in OSCAR Pro allows you to attach Documents from the patient's chart to your eConsult.
- From within the patient chart, create a new consultation by clicking the '+' icon on the purple 'Consultations' ribbon.
- Click 'Attach File to Consultation' on the left side.
- Select the desired Document(s) to attach using the checkboxes on the left side, and then click 'Done Close Window'.
- The chosen Document(s) will now appear in the left hand side of the Consultation window.
- Click the 'Refer' button in the top right corner of the window to launch into the Ocean Healthmap.
  
  Note: The Consultation window will automatically close after clicking the 'Refer' button. Any text typed in the OSCAR Pro Consultaton window will not transfer into the Ocean eConsult.
- Use your clinic's pre-existing process for creating documents for fax or mail in your EMR (e.g., consults, referrals).
- Rather than printing your document to paper, save your document as a PDF file to your computer.
  
  Note: After sending the eConsult, ensure that you delete any attachments saved to your computer to ensure any personal health information is appropriately cleansed.
- In a web browser, navigate directly to the Ocean Healthmap.
- The EMR-specific actions above will take you directly to the Ocean Healthmap.
- Note: Log in to the Ocean Healthmap with your Ocean user credentials if your user name does not appear in the top right so that your provider details are autopopulated in the eConsult.
Select Your eConsult Recipient

Search for your desired recipient to create your eConsult.
- Browse or search the Ocean Healthmap for a Directory Listing to send your eConsult to.
- The search bar at the top of the page allows you to type in a key term to search for, or select related health services in the geographic region that your map is focused on.
- You can also browse the health service categories to categorically search for health services in the geographic region that your map is focused on.
- The 'Advanced Search and Filtering' option allows you to define more specific criteria for your search results. To filter for Directory Listings that are only accepting eConsults, enable the ‘Only if accepting eConsults’ checkbox.
- To broaden your search results beyond the geographic region that your map is focused on, you may choose to zoom out, clear your filters, or click to search the whole directory. You may also zoom in and out within the Healthmap to narrow or broaden your search.
- Once you determine your desired recipient, select the Directory Listing and click 'Send Ocean eConsult'.
Test Mode
- If you are looking to send a test eConsult, use the test mode toggle in the bottom left corner of the screen to enable/disable test mode.
- When test mode is enabled, the healthmap will only show recipient Directory Listings that also have test mode enabled.
Send Your eConsult

Complete the eConsult form and send your consult request off to your desired recipient.
- Complete the eConsult form, as required. If you initiated the eConsult from an integrated EMR, patient contact information and other required details will be automatically pre-populated. Complete the remaining fields as required.
- Include any relevant attachments by pressing the 'Add Attachments' button and selecting them from your computer.
  
  Note: If you are a Med Access user and using the Ocean-MA Extension you will be automatically prompted to include any queued attachments as soon as the consult form is opened.
  
  If you are a PS Suite, Accuro, or OSCAR Pro user and you initiated your eConsult with an attachment, it will be automatically included below the 'Add Attachments' button.
- If you are sending an eConsult as a delegate, you will need to select the appropriate provider that you are referring on behalf of (from the dropdown menu at the top of the "Referrer Information" panel).
- Click the "Send eConsult" button to send your eConsult.
  
  Note: If the Directory Listing you are sending to is accepting eConsults under a Regional Authority (such as a provincial eReferral initiative), you must accept the Regional Authority's Terms of Use located beside the “Send eConsult” button the first time you send an eConsult.
- Once sent, you will see a confirmation window with the option to print a copy of the eConsult for the patient.
- The eConsult will then be documented in the patient's chart.
PS Suite Med Access Accuro OSCAR Pro Other EMR
- The consult note and Ocean eConsult form will be automatically downloaded into the patient chart. An internal PS message can also be triggered to the PS user/group of your choice, so they can follow up on the consult, in the specified number of days.
- The eConsult information summary will automatically populate into the patient's chart as an Active Task with a PDF attachment of the consult. Any file attachments included with the eConsult will also be included in the PDF.
- For detailed information on the logic that Ocean uses to assign the task to an EMR user, please refer to the Ocean Note Tasks support article.
Ocean-MA Extension: Task Category and Type Adjustments
If you use the Ocean-MA Extension, it will automatically recognize upon opening the Task that it is related to an Ocean eConsult.

The extension will automatically adjust the Task 'Category' and 'Type' values to correspond with the Ocean eConsult.
After reviewing the changes and making any other necessary adjustments to the Task, click 'Save'. The Task will be automatically categorized into the 'Active Requests' section of the corresponding 'Consults ' or 'Investigations' area of the patient chart.
- Depending on the configuration of your Cloud Connect settings, the eConsult information summary will automatically populate either as an Encounter Note, or as a PDF file in the Documents area of the patient's chart.
- Note: It is recommended that your Cloud Connect settings are configured to save sent and received eReferrals as Documents to ensure that any file attachments are automatically imported into Accuro. This setting will apply to both eReferrals and eConsults.
- When your Cloud Connect settings are configured such that 'Save Sent Referrals as' is set to 'Documents', any file attachments included at the time of sending the eConsult will also be included in the PDF eConsult record.
- By default, the Document Provider will be 'Unassigned'. However, automatic Document Provider assignment can be enabled in your Cloud Connect settings.
- The eConsult information summary will automatically populate as a PDF in the Documents area of the patient's chart. Any file attachments included with the eConsult will also be included in the PDF consult record.
- A new Consultation will also be automatically generated in the patient's chart.
- If you are using a non-integrated EMR, you can copy and paste the information from the confirmation window directly into your patient's chart in your EMR.
Track Your Ocean eConsults

You will receive email notifications about the status of your eConsult(s).

From there, you can view and track the status of your eConsults from within your EMR and/or the eReferrals & eConsults View of the Ocean Portal.

PS Suite Med Access Accuro OSCAR Pro Non-Integrated
- Once you have sent an eConsult, you can track the status of it at any time.
- If you've linked your eConsult to your own Ocean account, you will also automatically receive email updates when the status of your eConsult changes (e.g., when the recipient provides consultation advice).
- More details about these email updates can be found in the article "Where do eConsult and/or eReferral notification emails get sent to?".
Check the Status of your eConsult from your EMR
PS Suite Med Access Accuro OSCAR Pro Non-Integrated
- After sending an eConsult from PSS, a consult note and Ocean eConsult form will be automatically downloaded into the patient chart on the date the eConsult was sent.
- You can access and view the eConsult by selecting "View in Ocean" from the Ocean toolbar, or by selecting "Open" from the Ocean eConsult form.
- This will open the patient's Ocean dashboard, where you can find a table of active sent eConsults for the patient. You can select a specific eConsult from the table to open it and view further details, or make updates to it.
- View the status of the eConsult by pressing the "Launch" icon from within the patient's chart.
- Locate the "Ocean"" extension, and select "View Patient".
- This opens the Ocean Patient Summary where you can view the status of the any active eConsults. Click on an individual eConsult line to open it for more details.
- View the status of the eConsult by using the 'View Patient Summary' global CDS link.
- Alternatively, you can use the 'Summary' button on the action bar.
- This opens the Ocean Patient Summary where you can view the status of the any active eConsults. Click on an individual eConsult line to open it for more details.
- When the status of the eConsult changes in Ocean, the status of Consultation in OSCAR Pro will be automatically updated using the following mappings:
- • 'Awaiting Response', 'Accepted as eConsult' and 'eConsult in Progress' in Ocean = 'Pending Specialist Callback' in OSCAR Pro.
  
  • 'Completed', 'Cancelled', and 'Declined' in Ocean = 'Completed' in OSCAR Pro.
- The 'Edit on Ocean' button can be clicked at any time to open the Ocean eConsult to view more details.
- Click on 'Patient Summary' from the Ocean toolbar to open the Ocean Patient Dashboard, where you can view the status of the any active eConsults. Click on an individual eConsult line to open it for more details.
- You can view your eConsults in the eReferrals & eConsults area of the Ocean Portal.
- To view the eConsults that you've sent select the 'Sent (All)' option in the left sidebar.
- If an eConsult has been sent, but has not yet been actioned by the recipient, it will be found in the 'Awaiting Response' status folder.
  
  If an eConsult has been accepted, but consultation advice has not yet been provided, it will be found in the 'Accepted as eConsult' status folder. Once consultation advice is provided, it will be automatically moved to the 'eConsult in Progress' status folder.
Track your eConsults from the Ocean Portal

You can view and manage all of your sent eConsults from the eReferrals & eConsults area of the Ocean Portal.

The portal allows you to see all of your eConsults in one place, clearly organized into folders according to their current status.

Login to the Ocean Portal
- Log in to the Ocean Portal with your Ocean username and password.
- Open the Menu in the top left corner, and select 'eReferrals & eConsults'.
Configure your Sent and Received Folders
- The eReferral & eConsult View in the Ocean Portal has two main folder groupings: 'Received' and 'Sent'.
- Within these folder groupings, you can access all of your eConsults within their current status folder. Note that both eReferrals and eConsults will be visible within their relevant status folders. eConsults will be displayed in a blue font colour, while eReferrals are displayed in a black font colour.
- If you are only sending eConsults it is recommended that you collapse the 'Received' folder grouping by clicking on it.
Status Folders
- Status Folders categorize your consults based on their current status. As a consult's status changes throughout its lifecycle, it will be automatically moved to the appropriate folder.
- For example, a consult in the 'Awaiting Response' folder will automatically move to the 'Accepted as eConsult' folder when the recipient accepts the eConsult.
- When consultation advice is provided, the consult will automatically move to the 'eConsult in Progress' folder.
- When the eConsult is marked as completed by the sending provider, the eConsult will then be automatically moved to the 'Completed' folder for both parties.
This functionality ensures that the status of the eConsult is always up to date throughout its lifecycle for all relevant parties.

Searching and Filtering

Search Bar

To quickly locate a specific or group of eConsults, you can take advantage of the search bar in the top left corner.
- Selecting 'Patient with surname' filters all your eConsults to only include patients with the matching surname.
- Selecting 'Referring clinician with the name containing' filters all your eConsults to only include consults sent by a specific clinician.
- Selecting 'Provider with name containing' filters all your eConsults to only include consults sent to the Directory Listing with the chosen search term included in it's name.
Referring Clinician and Service Filtering
- All folders within the 'Sent' folder grouping can be filtered based on the 'Referring Clinician' and/or the consulted 'Service'.
Column Filtering
- Certain columns within each status folder can be used to order the matching eConsults in ascending or descending order.
- Simply click on the column header to sort the eConsults based on that column.
View Consultation Advice

Learn how to take action after a eConsult has been accepted or declined.

This article describes the actions you can take once a recipient has responded to your eConsult.
Accepted Declined
Accepted eConsult
- If your eConsult has been accepted by the recipient, the eConsult will be automatically moved to the 'Accepted as eConsult' status folder in the Ocean Portal.
- When the recipient provides consultation advice, the eConsult will be moved to the 'eConsult in Progress' status folder.
Declined eConsult
- If your eConsult is declined by the recipient, the eConsult will be automatically moved to the 'Needs Review' and 'Declined' status folders in the Ocean Portal.
- By clicking on the eConsult, you can view the reason for the declination and take action accordingly.
View Consultation Advice

By clicking on the eConsult, you can view the advice provided by the recipient under the 'Messaging' area. After reviewing the advice provided, there are a few different actions you can take:

Follow Up with Additional Information
- If you would like to provide additional information to the recipient, or you would like to ask additional questions, you can continue your exchange using the 'Messaging' area of the eConsult.
  
  You can a send a message to the recipient by typing in the text box and clicking 'Send'.
Proceed with eReferral
- After the recipient of the eConsult has provided their consultation advice, and you believe that the provider should proceed with a referral for the patient, select 'Proceed with eReferral'.
- You will be asked to provide a reason for the request.
- Your eConsult will be automatically moved to the 'Awaiting Response' status folder.
Change to eReferral
- You can select 'Change to eReferral' to change your eConsult to an eReferral.
- This can be done at any point during the lifecycle of an eConsult, whereas 'Proceed with eReferral' can only be selected after the recipient has provided consultation advice.
- Your eConsult will be automatically moved to the 'Awaiting Response' status folder.
Reviewed & Close
- You may also choose to simply acknowledge that the consultation advice has been reviewed without taking any further action.
- To do so, select 'Reviewed & Close'.
- Your eConsult will be removed from the 'Needs Review' status folder, but it will remain in the 'eConsult in Progress' status folder until you take further action.
Completed
- If you are satisfied with the consultation advice provided, and you are ready to end your exchange with the recipient, select 'Completed'.
- Your eConsult will be moved to the 'Completed' status folder.
  
  Only the sender of the eConsult can mark the consult as completed. If the recipient does not believe the eConsult is complete, they can mark the eConsult as incomplete, which allows communication to continue.
- Note: If you are using PS Suite, Accuro, or OSCAR Pro, a final copy of the eConsult record will be automatically downloaded into the patient's chart in your EMR.
  
  For other EMRs, you can manually download a final copy of the referral/consult record.

Initiate Your Ocean eConsult

You can access the Ocean eReferral Network from the link in your EMR (for integrated EMRs) or directly from the Ocean Healthmap to initiate your eConsult.

With an Ocean account, you can initiate an Ocean eConsult at any time directly from the Ocean Healthmap. If you are using an EMR which is integrated with Ocean, you can also initiate an eConsult at any time by following the steps below.

Initiate your eConsult (without an attachment)

Click the "Refer" button on the Ocean toolbar in the patient record.

Press the "Launch" icon from within the patient's chart.

Locate the "Ocean" extension, and select "View Patient".

Press the "Send eReferral" button from within the patient's dashboard.

With your desired patient in context in Accuro, click the "Send eRequest / Find Health Service" global CDS link.

Alternatively, you can click your equivalent user-friendly CDS link on the action bar.

Click the 'Refer' button on the Ocean Toolbar.

Alternatively, click the 'Oc.' shortcut on the relevant patient's appointment from the schedule, and then click 'Find Health Service' on the Ocean eForm.

In a web browser, navigate directly to the Ocean Healthmap.

Initiate your eConsult (with an attachment)

Before following the steps in this guide, ensure you have downloaded and installed the latest version of the Ocean Attachment Exporter (click here to download CFM file.) Version 2.0 and above will now upload attachments directly to Ocean instead of exporting them as a file.

Ocean makes it easy to select and "green bar" notes in a patient chart in PS Suite that can be uploaded directly to Ocean. The file can then be automatically included in an eConsult sent through the Ocean Healthmap.

To attach a note from PS Suite to an eConsult:

Find the note(s) in the patient's chart that you want to generate as a PDF attachment.
Check the checkbox next to the note to enable the “green bar”.

Click the Attach link on the Ocean Toolbar.

This will pop up an input box allowing the user to specify the attachment file name. Rename the file, if desired, and select OK. (By default, the file name will include the patient initials, EMR user initials, and current date).

A prompt will then appear to confirm that this attachment has been successfully uploaded to Ocean. Select the desired option. (Note, it will not appear if you previously selected "Don't Show This Again", or toggled it off in the Attachment Exporter's custom form settings).

Select Refer on the Ocean Toolbar to launch the Ocean Healthmap. Choose the desired listing and select to Send eReferral. The attachment will automatically be included at the bottom of the consult form.

Quick Tip: If you "green bar" an item and then select "Refer" on the Ocean Toolbar to initiate an eConsult, the attachment will automatically get generated to attach to the eConsult (without having to click the "Attach/Paperclip" link). You will need to click "Yes - Create Attachment" on the confirmation prompt, before continuing with step D to F above.

You can preview your attachment by clicking on the “eye” icon, or remove it by clicking on the “X” icon.

If you remove an attachment and would like to add it to the eConsult again, select the Add Attachments button at the bottom of the consult form. A list of any attachments uploaded to Ocean for that patient will appear. Choose a file from the list or choose “Select Local File...” to browse for a file on your computer.

To customize the settings of the Ocean Attachment Exporter form:

Open the Ocean Attachment Exporter form in a test patient chart, and click the Settings button.

Select "Toggle the Display of the Export Information Message" if you would like to show the user an explanatory message about the attachment, after the upload to Ocean is complete.
Select "Toggle the Prompt to Export Lab Table" if you would like to be prompted to include the lab table each time an attachment is generated.

Use the Ocean-MA Extension for Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge to capture the desired attachments from the patient's chart in Med Access.

Press the "Launch" icon from within the patient's chart.

Locate the "Ocean" extension, and select "View Patient".

Press the "Send eReferral" button from within the patient's dashboard.

Prerequisite

Ensure that you have enabled the 'Save for Ocean button within your Accuro system settings.

Select the patient in Accuro that you wish to generate an attachment in Ocean for.

If you do have an Encounter Note Template and corresponding Quick Action Button configured, use your Quick Action Button to create a new Encounter Note.

If you do not have an Encounter Note Template and corresponding Quick Action Button configured, create a new blank Encounter Note in the patient chart.

Tip: You can use the 'CTRL+F11' keyboard shortcut to create a new note from any section of Accuro, as long as you have the patient selected first.

Specify a filename for your attachment by using the 'Title' field in the bottom left, and then click Generate Letter.

Ensure you have the correct 'From:' Provider selected in the top left, then go to the Attachments pane and click the green plus icon to add an attachment.

In the Select Attachments window, choose the items from the patient chart that you would like included, and then select OK.

The list of selected attachments will appear on the left. Click the 'Save for Ocean' button.

An Encounter Note and the Generated Letter will be created in the patient chart.

Use the 'Send eRequest / Find Health Service' CDS link or action button to launch into the Ocean Healthmap.

Ocean will automatically include any unused Generated Letters with the current date as an attachment on your eConsult.

Initiating an eConsult from the 'Consultations' area in OSCAR Pro allows you to attach Documents from the patient's chart to your eConsult.

From within the patient chart, create a new consultation by clicking the '+' icon on the purple 'Consultations' ribbon.

Click 'Attach File to Consultation' on the left side.

Select the desired Document(s) to attach using the checkboxes on the left side, and then click 'Done Close Window'.

The chosen Document(s) will now appear in the left hand side of the Consultation window.

Click the 'Refer' button in the top right corner of the window to launch into the Ocean Healthmap.

Note: The Consultation window will automatically close after clicking the 'Refer' button. Any text typed in the OSCAR Pro Consultaton window will not transfer into the Ocean eConsult.

Use your clinic's pre-existing process for creating documents for fax or mail in your EMR (e.g., consults, referrals).
Rather than printing your document to paper, save your document as a PDF file to your computer.

Note: After sending the eConsult, ensure that you delete any attachments saved to your computer to ensure any personal health information is appropriately cleansed.
In a web browser, navigate directly to the Ocean Healthmap.

The EMR-specific actions above will take you directly to the Ocean Healthmap.
Note: Log in to the Ocean Healthmap with your Ocean user credentials if your user name does not appear in the top right so that your provider details are autopopulated in the eConsult.

Select Your eConsult Recipient

Search for your desired recipient to create your eConsult.

Browse or search the Ocean Healthmap for a Directory Listing to send your eConsult to.

The search bar at the top of the page allows you to type in a key term to search for, or select related health services in the geographic region that your map is focused on.

You can also browse the health service categories to categorically search for health services in the geographic region that your map is focused on.

The 'Advanced Search and Filtering' option allows you to define more specific criteria for your search results. To filter for Directory Listings that are only accepting eConsults, enable the ‘Only if accepting eConsults’ checkbox.

To broaden your search results beyond the geographic region that your map is focused on, you may choose to zoom out, clear your filters, or click to search the whole directory. You may also zoom in and out within the Healthmap to narrow or broaden your search.

Once you determine your desired recipient, select the Directory Listing and click 'Send Ocean eConsult'.

Test Mode

If you are looking to send a test eConsult, use the test mode toggle in the bottom left corner of the screen to enable/disable test mode.
When test mode is enabled, the healthmap will only show recipient Directory Listings that also have test mode enabled.

Send Your eConsult

Complete the eConsult form and send your consult request off to your desired recipient.

Complete the eConsult form, as required. If you initiated the eConsult from an integrated EMR, patient contact information and other required details will be automatically pre-populated. Complete the remaining fields as required.
Include any relevant attachments by pressing the 'Add Attachments' button and selecting them from your computer.

Note: If you are a Med Access user and using the Ocean-MA Extension you will be automatically prompted to include any queued attachments as soon as the consult form is opened.

If you are a PS Suite, Accuro, or OSCAR Pro user and you initiated your eConsult with an attachment, it will be automatically included below the 'Add Attachments' button.

If you are sending an eConsult as a delegate, you will need to select the appropriate provider that you are referring on behalf of (from the dropdown menu at the top of the "Referrer Information" panel).

Click the "Send eConsult" button to send your eConsult.

Note: If the Directory Listing you are sending to is accepting eConsults under a Regional Authority (such as a provincial eReferral initiative), you must accept the Regional Authority's Terms of Use located beside the “Send eConsult” button the first time you send an eConsult.

Once sent, you will see a confirmation window with the option to print a copy of the eConsult for the patient.

The eConsult will then be documented in the patient's chart.

The consult note and Ocean eConsult form will be automatically downloaded into the patient chart. An internal PS message can also be triggered to the PS user/group of your choice, so they can follow up on the consult, in the specified number of days.

The eConsult information summary will automatically populate into the patient's chart as an Active Task with a PDF attachment of the consult. Any file attachments included with the eConsult will also be included in the PDF.
For detailed information on the logic that Ocean uses to assign the task to an EMR user, please refer to the Ocean Note Tasks support article.

Ocean-MA Extension: Task Category and Type Adjustments

If you use the Ocean-MA Extension, it will automatically recognize upon opening the Task that it is related to an Ocean eConsult.
The extension will automatically adjust the Task 'Category' and 'Type' values to correspond with the Ocean eConsult.

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

Depending on the configuration of your Cloud Connect settings, the eConsult information summary will automatically populate either as an Encounter Note, or as a PDF file in the Documents area of the patient's chart.
Note: It is recommended that your Cloud Connect settings are configured to save sent and received eReferrals as Documents to ensure that any file attachments are automatically imported into Accuro. This setting will apply to both eReferrals and eConsults.

When your Cloud Connect settings are configured such that 'Save Sent Referrals as' is set to 'Documents', any file attachments included at the time of sending the eConsult will also be included in the PDF eConsult record.
By default, the Document Provider will be 'Unassigned'. However, automatic Document Provider assignment can be enabled in your Cloud Connect settings.

The eConsult information summary will automatically populate as a PDF in the Documents area of the patient's chart. Any file attachments included with the eConsult will also be included in the PDF consult record.

A new Consultation will also be automatically generated in the patient's chart.

If you are using a non-integrated EMR, you can copy and paste the information from the confirmation window directly into your patient's chart in your EMR.

Track Your Ocean eConsults

You will receive email notifications about the status of your eConsult(s).

From there, you can view and track the status of your eConsults from within your EMR and/or the eReferrals & eConsults View of the Ocean Portal.

Once you have sent an eConsult, you can track the status of it at any time.
If you've linked your eConsult to your own Ocean account, you will also automatically receive email updates when the status of your eConsult changes (e.g., when the recipient provides consultation advice).
More details about these email updates can be found in the article "Where do eConsult and/or eReferral notification emails get sent to?".

Check the Status of your eConsult from your EMR

After sending an eConsult from PSS, a consult note and Ocean eConsult form will be automatically downloaded into the patient chart on the date the eConsult was sent.
You can access and view the eConsult by selecting "View in Ocean" from the Ocean toolbar, or by selecting "Open" from the Ocean eConsult form.

This will open the patient's Ocean dashboard, where you can find a table of active sent eConsults for the patient. You can select a specific eConsult from the table to open it and view further details, or make updates to it.

View the status of the eConsult by pressing the "Launch" icon from within the patient's chart.

Locate the "Ocean"" extension, and select "View Patient".

This opens the Ocean Patient Summary where you can view the status of the any active eConsults. Click on an individual eConsult line to open it for more details.

View the status of the eConsult by using the 'View Patient Summary' global CDS link.

Alternatively, you can use the 'Summary' button on the action bar.

This opens the Ocean Patient Summary where you can view the status of the any active eConsults. Click on an individual eConsult line to open it for more details.

When the status of the eConsult changes in Ocean, the status of Consultation in OSCAR Pro will be automatically updated using the following mappings:
• 'Awaiting Response', 'Accepted as eConsult' and 'eConsult in Progress' in Ocean = 'Pending Specialist Callback' in OSCAR Pro.

• 'Completed', 'Cancelled', and 'Declined' in Ocean = 'Completed' in OSCAR Pro.

The 'Edit on Ocean' button can be clicked at any time to open the Ocean eConsult to view more details.

Click on 'Patient Summary' from the Ocean toolbar to open the Ocean Patient Dashboard, where you can view the status of the any active eConsults. Click on an individual eConsult line to open it for more details.

You can view your eConsults in the eReferrals & eConsults area of the Ocean Portal.
To view the eConsults that you've sent select the 'Sent (All)' option in the left sidebar.
If an eConsult has been sent, but has not yet been actioned by the recipient, it will be found in the 'Awaiting Response' status folder.

If an eConsult has been accepted, but consultation advice has not yet been provided, it will be found in the 'Accepted as eConsult' status folder. Once consultation advice is provided, it will be automatically moved to the 'eConsult in Progress' status folder.

Track your eConsults from the Ocean Portal

You can view and manage all of your sent eConsults from the eReferrals & eConsults area of the Ocean Portal.

The portal allows you to see all of your eConsults in one place, clearly organized into folders according to their current status.

Login to the Ocean Portal

Log in to the Ocean Portal with your Ocean username and password.
Open the Menu in the top left corner, and select 'eReferrals & eConsults'.

Configure your Sent and Received Folders

The eReferral & eConsult View in the Ocean Portal has two main folder groupings: 'Received' and 'Sent'.
Within these folder groupings, you can access all of your eConsults within their current status folder. Note that both eReferrals and eConsults will be visible within their relevant status folders. eConsults will be displayed in a blue font colour, while eReferrals are displayed in a black font colour.

If you are only sending eConsults it is recommended that you collapse the 'Received' folder grouping by clicking on it.

Status Folders

Status Folders categorize your consults based on their current status. As a consult's status changes throughout its lifecycle, it will be automatically moved to the appropriate folder.
For example, a consult in the 'Awaiting Response' folder will automatically move to the 'Accepted as eConsult' folder when the recipient accepts the eConsult.

When consultation advice is provided, the consult will automatically move to the 'eConsult in Progress' folder.
When the eConsult is marked as completed by the sending provider, the eConsult will then be automatically moved to the 'Completed' folder for both parties.

This functionality ensures that the status of the eConsult is always up to date throughout its lifecycle for all relevant parties.

Searching and Filtering

Search Bar

To quickly locate a specific or group of eConsults, you can take advantage of the search bar in the top left corner.

Selecting 'Patient with surname' filters all your eConsults to only include patients with the matching surname.
Selecting 'Referring clinician with the name containing' filters all your eConsults to only include consults sent by a specific clinician.
Selecting 'Provider with name containing' filters all your eConsults to only include consults sent to the Directory Listing with the chosen search term included in it's name.

Referring Clinician and Service Filtering

All folders within the 'Sent' folder grouping can be filtered based on the 'Referring Clinician' and/or the consulted 'Service'.

Column Filtering

Certain columns within each status folder can be used to order the matching eConsults in ascending or descending order.
Simply click on the column header to sort the eConsults based on that column.

View Consultation Advice

Learn how to take action after a eConsult has been accepted or declined.

This article describes the actions you can take once a recipient has responded to your eConsult.

Accepted eConsult

If your eConsult has been accepted by the recipient, the eConsult will be automatically moved to the 'Accepted as eConsult' status folder in the Ocean Portal.

When the recipient provides consultation advice, the eConsult will be moved to the 'eConsult in Progress' status folder.

Declined eConsult

If your eConsult is declined by the recipient, the eConsult will be automatically moved to the 'Needs Review' and 'Declined' status folders in the Ocean Portal.

By clicking on the eConsult, you can view the reason for the declination and take action accordingly.

View Consultation Advice

By clicking on the eConsult, you can view the advice provided by the recipient under the 'Messaging' area. After reviewing the advice provided, there are a few different actions you can take:

Follow Up with Additional Information

If you would like to provide additional information to the recipient, or you would like to ask additional questions, you can continue your exchange using the 'Messaging' area of the eConsult.

You can a send a message to the recipient by typing in the text box and clicking 'Send'.

When a message is sent, the recipient will be notified. You can continue communicating with the recipient until you are satisfied with the consultation advice provided.
Your eConsult will remain in the 'eConsult in Progress' status folder.

Proceed with eReferral

After the recipient of the eConsult has provided their consultation advice, and you believe that the provider should proceed with a referral for the patient, select 'Proceed with eReferral'.
You will be asked to provide a reason for the request.

Your eConsult will be automatically moved to the 'Awaiting Response' status folder.

Change to eReferral

You can select 'Change to eReferral' to change your eConsult to an eReferral.
This can be done at any point during the lifecycle of an eConsult, whereas 'Proceed with eReferral' can only be selected after the recipient has provided consultation advice.

Your eConsult will be automatically moved to the 'Awaiting Response' status folder.

Reviewed & Close

You may also choose to simply acknowledge that the consultation advice has been reviewed without taking any further action.
To do so, select 'Reviewed & Close'.

Your eConsult will be removed from the 'Needs Review' status folder, but it will remain in the 'eConsult in Progress' status folder until you take further action.

Completed

If you are satisfied with the consultation advice provided, and you are ready to end your exchange with the recipient, select 'Completed'.

Your eConsult will be moved to the 'Completed' status folder.

Only the sender of the eConsult can mark the consult as completed. If the recipient does not believe the eConsult is complete, they can mark the eConsult as incomplete, which allows communication to continue.
Note: If you are using PS Suite, Accuro, or OSCAR Pro, a final copy of the eConsult record will be automatically downloaded into the patient's chart in your EMR.

For other EMRs, you can manually download a final copy of the referral/consult record.