External Link Norms
Connect Care clinical system design (CSD) principles emphasize "transparent" clinical content, where clinical guidance (guidelines, protocols, studies, evidence, etc.) is readily available to users within their workflows.
Although it may be tempting to embed narrative instruction in order sets, for example, excessive explanatory material adds to the length, complexity and clutter of tools that prescribers need to navigate efficiently. Accordingly, embedded information should be limited to the minimum text essential for safe use by most clinicians. Additional supporting evidence should be made available via external links. These allow users to access support materials if and when needed.
This section addresses key considerations when deciding whether to embed external resource links within clinical content, and how such links should be configured. Other sections deal with link management techniques, link naming conventions and the complexities of internal (EpicACT) links.
External Link Anchors
The text, button or other user-interface element that is used to activate an external link can be referred to as the link "trigger" or "anchor". Whenever possible, trigger text should comply with Connect Care's link naming convention. This helps users to anticipate what will happen, and what information they will be able to access, when a link is selected. It also helps users avoid inefficiencies associated with clicking on links in order to discover what information is on offer.
In general, link triggers should identify the type of information expected followed by a title reflecting the information content; using "type: content" syntax (e.g., Handbook: EpicACT Links):
External Link Markup
External links are inserted within SmartText, SmartPhrases, Order Composers and other user interface elements by using the "hyperlink" menu or toolbar tool (🔗) found within object editors. Some text fields (e.g., flowsheet row descriptions/instructions) do not include editor tools for marking-up trigger text as a hyperlink. There are two options that builders can try in order to insert hyperlinks in such areas:
Copy/Paste
Create the anchor text and hyperlink in a different editor (e.g., SmartPhrase editor), then copy the text/link block and paste it in the text field where the hyperlink is desired.XML Markup
Some Epic text boxes support use of XLM markup coding. Use the following syntax:<ELINK>http://www.epic.com/<ENAME>Click here to Epic site</ELINK>
External Link Types
External links, and the associated target displays, are "unmanaged" or "managed":
Unmanaged External Links
are usually a simple URL (internet address) added to documentation, decision or inquiry supports using default text-editor, order-composer or dashboard-design tools. Hyperspace takes care of how the internet resource (web page) is displayed. The words "Alberta Health Services" appearing in a letterhead, for example, may be hyperlinked to the "https://ahs.ca" internet address. The linked information may appear in a popup window, in a hyperspace workspace or within a chart activity, under Epic's control and reflecting what usually works best.Managed External links
make use of EpicACT links to provide builders with additional controls over where (popup, sidebar, activity, workspace, etc.) information is displayed, how it is displayed (e.g., viewer dimensions), and what capabilities are provided to users (e.g., whether printing is enabled).
Managed External Links
Managed external links are inserted in the same places as unmanaged links, most commonly as hyperlinks within SmartText that is, in turn, used in navigators, templates and other clinical content. The difference is that managed links do not start with "http://" or "https://". Instead, they use one of the following "EpicACT:" links. The target "URL" (e.g., http://, https://, mailto:, etc.) is specified as a parameter of the EpicACT link. The parameter (URL) portion of the EpicACT link should comply with Health Evidence Exchange link management guidelines. The activity portion of the EpicACT link should be chosen from the options below to optimally display the intended content in the intended place.
Hyperdrive update:
The following Activities, offering different formatting options for the display of external links, do not work as intended in Hyperdrive. When viewed in Hyperdrive, the Activities will automatically redirect to a standard Microsoft Edge external browser window.