Resources

2025  |  Guides & Toolkits

The ‘Cervical Collar Care and Management’ document, developed by the provincial Neurosurgery and Education Outreach Network (NEON), provides information to assist Health Care Professionals (HCPs) across Ontario to care for patients who need a cervical collar. The resource provides information to assist the HCP to identify indications for cervical collar use, understand the different types of cervical collars, and maintain and address the complications that may arise with the use of a cervical collar. The resource also summarizes the importance of involving patients and their care partners in education and care of the collars.

2025  |  Guides & Toolkits

The ‘Spinal Orthoses’ document was developed by the provincial Neurosurgery Education and Outreach Network (NEON). It provides direction on the provision on the care of patients with spinal orthoses to ensure consistency within and across organizations. The learner will be able to describe neurological indications for a spinal orthosis and learn the application, removal and management of some common spinal orthoses used in neurosurgery. The learner will also be able to understand the interventions related to caring for a patient with spinal orthosis.

2024  |  Guidelines & Standards

The Burn Management Checklists support clinicians at referring hospitals in managing patients with burn injuries closer to home. These checklists are meant to aid in clinical decision-making and are not a replacement for a consultation with a burn surgeon/centre facilitated by CritiCall Ontario.

1. Checklist: Outpatient Burn Management
2. Checklist: Isolated Inhalation Injury Management
3. Checklist: Electrical Injury Management
4. Checklist: Burn Resuscitation Management

2024  |  Guides & Toolkits

The purpose of this document is to provide guidelines for the consideration of appropriately timed Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) for adult critical care patients. These guidelines are for use by intensivists in Level 3 critical care units managing patients with respiratory or cardiac failure that may continue to deteriorate despite treatment options already attempted.

2024  |  Guides & Toolkits

Help users understand and navigate the quarterly Neurosurgery Scorecard (hosted on CCSO Data Analytics Platform). The terms, definitions and purpose of each indicator are explained in this guide.

2024  |  Guides & Toolkits

This Adult Critical Care Scorecard Guide is intended to help users understand and navigate the contents of the Adult Critical Care Scorecard generated every quarter. This guide explains the definitions, layout, and purpose of each indicator and includes sample visuals for clarity of understanding.

2024  |  Guides & Toolkits

This Paediatric Critical Care Scorecard Guide is intended to help users understand and navigate the contents of the Paediatric Critical Care Scorecard generated every quarter. This guide explains the definitions, layout, and purpose of each indicator and includes sample visuals for clarity of understanding.

2023  |  Guides & Toolkits

A compendium checklist to be used as a guiding document in conjunction with the CCSO’s Neonatal Practice Standards as well as relevant hospital policies, and local practice context. The checklist was developed in consideration of competencies relevant for level 2 and level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs).

2023  |  Guides & Toolkits

This toolkit will guide the reader through a step-by-step process for the implementation of surge capacity management plan in critical care. Each objective is aligned with the elements and principles of surge capacity management and will identify the transformation activities needed to meet the objectives. The appendices section includes worksheets, templates and action plans that can be used by critical care units to implement minor surge plans. These tools are provided so that all Ontario critical care units will have similar templates for surge planning that are scalable as needed from a minor to a moderate surge event.

2023  |  Guides & Toolkits

This document presents the tools and protocol for declaring a moderate surge when at least one hospital in the LHIN is unable to sustain their critical care services, and requires the resources of the LHIN to ensure patients receive safe and timely access to care. Moderate surge plan is the natural escalation from minor surge planning which involves hospitals managing surges within their own institutions. Building on the same elements and principles, this response guide outlines the frameworks and tools for hospitals to prepare for managing moderate surges.

2023  |  Guides & Toolkits

A resource guide to help the adoption and implementation of the Neonatal Practice Standards into neonatal units. This document has been adapted based on the framework in the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) Implementation Tool Kit.

2022  |  Guides & Toolkits

This Toolkit summarizes the evidence-based mobility protocols developed as part of the Provincial Early Rehabilitation in Critical Care (PERCC) pilot, and includes a structured early mobility protocol for implementation in critical care units.