Improving clinical care with real-time data integration at the Waterloo Regional Health Network

Laurie Lafleur, School of Health & Life Sciences

Conestoga partnered with the Waterloo Regional Health Network (formerly the Grand River Hospital) and the National Institutes of Health Informatics Canada on a Mitacs-funded project to improve data integration and real-time analytics in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. The team addressed challenges such as fragmented systems, unstructured notes, and inconsistent documentation by developing tools to support more informed clinical decision-making. 

The project resulted in three key outcomes that support data-driven quality improvement. First, a live Tableau dashboard was developed to track key performance indicators across the amputee, pain, and stroke outpatient programs. Second, new standardized PowerForms were created within Cerner to improve how clinical data is collected and documented. Third, the team produced a framework outlining best practices for launching similar analytics initiatives, including data mapping, workflow analysis, and visualization planning. 

The work will continue through upcoming student capstone projects, where applied health information science students will expand the dashboard with new indicators and refine its usability. Using the established framework, students will assess data sources, clinical workflows, and reporting needs to ensure the tool remains scalable and impactful for ongoing quality improvement. 

This project was supported with funding from Mitacs.