TORONTO - The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) and Open Source Order Sets (OSOS) are pleased to announce a new partnership that could help improve patient safety and quality in health care for Ontarians.

OSOS is a web-enabled collaborative network dedicated to improving health care through the effective use of evidence based order sets (www.ordersets.com), providing access to over 400 best practice order sets and clinical protocols that are comprehensive, interdisciplinary and that incorporate feedback from many years of clinical experience. Through their new partnership, OSOS will work with the OHA on select quality and patient safety initiatives to enhance the existing network and provide overall support to the OHA's 154 hospital members.

"The OHA decided to enter into a formal partnership with OSOS because it has seen, first-hand, the positive impact that OSOS can have in helping hospitals to improve patient safety and quality while reducing costs," said Tom Closson, President and CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association.

There are currently 60 OHA member hospitals that belong to the OSOS Network and it is anticipated that the value to these organizations will increase as the network grows in size.

"We are very excited by the opportunities created by this partnership" added Chris O'Connor MD, President and CEO of OSOS. "A collaborative Order Set Network in Ontario enables organizations to work together. This approach saves money and improves quality and patient safety at the same time."

The OSOS Network can be used to support quality and patient safety in all areas of hospital care and integrate medical knowledge into the ordering process to improve workflow, resource utilization and standardization of best practices across health systems. Further they support key initiatives such as Safer Health Care Now! interventions and many required organizational practices (ROPs) assessed in accreditation.

About the OHA:

The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) is the voice of Ontario's public hospitals. Founded in 1924, the OHA uses advocacy, education and partnerships to build a strong, innovative and sustainable health care system for all Ontarians.

About OSOS:

OSOS is a web-enabled, collaborative network of over 90 hospitals in four provinces. OSOS provides a comprehensive Order Set solution, including a library of over 400 evidence-based best practice Order Sets, Order Set project methodology and unlimited project support. OSOS enables all organizations to share and collaborate together. This comprehensive approach enables organizations to realize the many benefits associated with effective Order Set use including improved quality of care, reduced costs and increased CPOE effectiveness.

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For further information: Amy Ouellette, Public Affairs Specialist, Ontario Hospital Association, (416) 205-1433; Dr. Chris O'Connor, President & CEO, Open Source Order Sets, (416) 450-2423