CISSS de l'Outaouais' DSMD enhances care collaboration and services with Dynamics 365

The DSMD of the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) de l'Outaouais reports to the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) and provides mental health services to the population of the Outaouais. The DSMD manages the care of users across various services in separate facilities, which creates an administrative burden due to disparate systems and non-standardized workflows. To address this, the DSMD of the CISSS de l'Outaouais has established a unified digital workspace for mental health services, accelerating access to health information and ensuring a better understanding of users' needs. Built on internal collaboration and a commitment to providing the best care, the organization has developed an innovative technology solution based on Microsoft Dynamics 365, empowering both patients and health professionals in the delivery of services.

Overcoming geographic distance and resource constraints through innovation

The organization provides mental health and addictions care to a population of approximately 350,000, spread over more than 30,000 km². This vast distance creates a significant gap in favorable clinical practices across different sectors within the same region. The implementation of this innovation has ensured the transversality of services and standardized workflows, bridging the gap and enhancing the quality of care.

The Mental Health and Addictions Branch relied on numerous repetitive administrative processes to coordinate care across several services. "The challenge for us was that we had multiple databases for the same continuum of care, particularly in mental health," explains Jahel Ménard-Lavigne, head of the DCLIQ project at the CISSS de l'Outaouais. "Each level of service had its own digital work environment, and none were connected, making it very difficult for our professionals to collaborate."

The DSMD of the CISSS de l'Outaouais has designed a digital solution aimed at prioritizing user care and helping the organization overcome constraints related to geographical distance and resources. The new system, called DCLIQ, ensures continuity of care and facilitates communication between care providers. "DCLIQ's objective is to empower users and simplify the administrative tasks of professionals. We wanted a multidimensional solution to address the various challenges in the organization of care and services," explains Jahel Ménard-Lavigne.

Empowering users and providers to improve health outcomes

To implement DCLIQ, the CISSS de l'Outaouais partnered with Microsoft to create a unified workspace for the region. The organization customized Dynamics 365 to meet their specific needs while ensuring the security of users' sensitive personal information. Mental health care providers now have a comprehensive view of the care offered to users, regardless of their services or sectors of affiliation. Since the employees of the CISSS de l'Outaouais were already familiar with solutions like Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams, Dynamics 365 was an easy fit. "We already had a relationship with Microsoft and knew that Dynamics 365 would easily connect to the tools we already had in place," explains Janick Messier, Planning, Programming, and Research Officer at the CISSS de l'Outaouais.

IT and mental health clinical services collaborated closely to design DCLIQ, enabling users to manage their care more independently. Through a portal, users can update their consent preferences, view the contact details of their providers, and fill out self-assessment questionnaires about the evolution of their condition. These actions can be read by providers in near real-time to help them manage patient care, view treatment plans, and upcoming appointments. The CISSS de l'Outaouais can customize employee access to protect user confidentiality.

Through a common digital workspace, care providers and staff across the region collaborate to support patients. The CISSS de l'Outaouais integrates Dynamics 365 with Microsoft Power BI to provide analytics and reporting across the health network, enhancing visibility for stakeholders. "The best thing about the system is that it standardizes work methods," says Éric Bellefleur, an administrative technician at the CISSS de l'Outaouais. "Before, each person worked in a very particular way, whereas now, everyone works in the same way, oriented in the same direction. I think it's a very nice gain."

Automating processes and simplifying care coordination

The DCLIQ project has positioned the CISSS de l'Outaouais as a leader in digital transformation in mental health, making it one of the first regional health authorities in Quebec to implement such an initiative. The secure digital environment allows Outaouais care providers to access additional resources and expertise despite geographic distances, improving local patient care. Providers working with the same user can make more informed decisions with instantly accessible patient information, available to the entire circle of care. "Our care providers work as a team to help users, which makes them even more efficient," says Ms. Ménard-Lavigne. “We saw gains like this very soon after DCLIQ was deployed.”

The new solution also reduces the administrative burden on care providers and staff, simplifying care coordination. With a standardized workflow, it's easier to filter and prioritize cases, allowing users to receive the care they need faster. "I think this has had a huge impact on the overall coordination of mental health services across the Outaouais, and it has even helped us reduce our waiting lists," says Messier.

Thanks to DCLIQ, the CISSS de l'Outaouais has also been able to better secure user information, a top priority for health care providers. By leveraging the built-in security of Microsoft solutions, the CISSS de l'Outaouais was able to meet the MSSS's strict confidentiality requirements.

At the forefront of healthcare innovation

By prioritizing the improvement of care and the autonomy of users, the CISSS de l'Outaouais has developed a solution that could simplify health services in other regions of Quebec. The organization plans to add features to DCLIQ, such as virtual group meetings. "The fact that we chose Microsoft, which is well known and has already formed a good collaboration with the ministry, contributed to the success of our project," explains Ms. Ménard-Lavigne.

The innovation behind DCLIQ highlights the will and determination of the CISSS de l'Outaouais team. "We are big dreamers. We want better for our population and we are not giving up," said Ms. Ménard-Lavigne. "We make it work for the benefit of our people. In fact, that's what made this success possible."

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