Memo: Further Updates on Digital Initiatives

Thank you for your ongoing collaboration as we continue to leverage digital solutions to support the integration of the health system.

This memo builds on previous communications and provides further updates on the implementation of the Patients Before Paperwork initiative, including:

• Reminder: eReferral Ontario now available for onboarding
• Central Intake technology vendor selection
• Central Intake launch for DI (MRI/CT)
• Mental Health and Addictions hub selection
• Health Report Manager (HRM) priority standards

All Sectors

Reminder: eReferral Ontario Now Available for Onboarding

As shared in the Memo: Updates on Digital Initiatives in December, eReferral Ontario onboarding is open to all clinicians and providers. As per the Operational Direction: Local Delivery Group (LDG) Expansion to Support Spread and Scale of Digital Priorities, hospitals will be working with their local LDG Lead Organization and Ontario Health regional teams to onboard providers to eReferral. All other providers are requested to visit eReferral Ontario and follow the steps to get started.

Central Intake Technology Vendor Selection

Ontario Health has confirmed the Central Intake Technology vendors supporting regional implementation as the following:

• North East, North West, East and Central regions: Novari Health
• Toronto and West regions: Ricoh

These vendors will support the delivery of Central Intake functionality for provincial priority pathways at selected provincial Central Intake hubs.

Central Intake Launch for DI (MRI/CT)

Starting March 31, 2026, regional Diagnostic Imaging (DI) Central Intake hubs will begin to receive referrals via fax and electronic data transfer (eDT) functionality. Recognizing that regions are at different stages of Central Intake maturity, local implementation of this launch may vary.

Regions currently operating regional DI Central Intake models may continue their existing processes in the near term and are expected to transition to the provincially procured Central Intake technology once integration with Ontario Health digital assets is established.

The provincial rollout of a regional Central Intake hub for MRI/CT will be followed by continued expansion across priority pathways including cataracts, orthopedics, and mental health and addictions.

eDT and fax referrals will be an interim approach, which is intended solely as a transitional measure and is supported through the procured Central Intake technology. Ontario Health will actively promote and support the transition of fax-based providers to eReferral Ontario with the objective of reducing and ultimately eliminating reliance on fax as CI integrations with Ontario Health assets is established.

Mental Health and Addictions Hub Selection

As part of Ontario Health’s central intake expansion, a new section has been added to the table below to confirm the organizations designated as Central Intake hubs for Mental Health and Addictions.

These organizations will be working closely with the Local Delivery Group (LDG) lead organizations in the region and with Ontario Health to implement provincial strategic direction on Central Intake. Sectors are asked to work with their hubs and Central Intake lead organizations to implement Central Intake and coordinated access across the province. Hubs will be working to ensure full regional coverage and to adopt the Central Intake technology. This will enable equitable and seamless access to the right mental health and addictions services at the right time.

*Information in columns marked with an asterisk has previously been shared.

The mental health and addictions standardized referral form (SRF) in Ocean went live on January 16, 2026, and is available to support the Central Intake hubs for mental health and addictions workflows.

Hospitals

Health Report Manager (HRM) Priority Standards

Health Report Manager (HRM) is a digital health solution that delivers patient reports securely from participating hospitals and specialty clinics into patient charts within the clinician’s electronic medical record (EMR) systems.  HRM falls under the umbrella of provincial solutions that are part of Patients Before Paperwork, the provincial initiative established to reduce reliance on fax technology, administrative burden and improve access to care. This effort aligns with the province’s broader commitment to delivering safer, timelier and equitable care through modernized clinical workflows.

As previously communicated to hospitals, to support concerns of patient safety issues and administrative burden outlined in the HRM Task Force Sending Facility (SF) Standards Final Report, Ontario Health is working with hospitals and other partners through the HRM Improvement Recommendations Advisory Committee (HIRAC) and the HRM User Group to execute the HRM Task Force recommendations. Ontario Health asks that hospitals:

• Review the standards identified in the HRM Task Force SF Standards Final Report based on the outcomes from pilot hospital sites
• Strive to implement the SF standards, with a focus on the priority HRM Task Force SF Standards listed below, by March 31, 2027
  1. Fax suppression: Many hospitals have progressed on this standard, however it remains a priority that hospitals stop sending the same reports to HRM subscribers via both HRM and fax by suppressing the faxing of these duplicate reports, thereby minimizing redundancy, report volume, and achieving the PB4P goal of reduction of faxes. Additional guidance on fax suppression is provided in the HRM Task Force SF Standards Final Report.
  2. Reduce the volume of preliminary and interim reports sent via HRM: Sites to explore implementing a configurable delay of several hours for the sending of discharge summaries, emergency room visit reports, and specialist consultation notes via HRM. This will reduce the volume of preliminary and interim versions of these reports sent via HRM to receiving clinicians.
• Submit a response to an upcoming survey in Q1 on progress made to implement the HRM Task Force Sending Facility (SF) Standards

Thank you for your ongoing support in advancing the province’s Digital First for Health strategy to enable connected and convenient health care for all Ontarians.

If you have any questions or for more information, contact your Ontario Health regional digital team:

For reference:

• Memo: Updates on Digital Initiatives | Ontario Health, December 17, 2025
• Operational Direction: Local Delivery Group (LDG) Expansion to Support Spread and Scale of Digital Priorities,  October 9, 2025
• Operational Direction: Participating in the Provincial Cyber Security Operating Model | Ontario Health, June 18, 2025