Did you know patients are allowed access to information stored in their health records?
This includes emergency room reports, operative reports, specialist consultation reports, test results, discharge summaries and more?
Kirsten Veugelers, founder/owner of Navigate Your Health recently wrote a blog post on her website outlining how we as Albertans can have access to our medical records.
In her article she shares what a patient can do with that information:
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Some want to review their treatment or recovery plan to make sure they follow the plan well.
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Some want information from their health records to help them to reconstruct their medical history accurately.
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Some want insight into treatment or surgery that they received while they were sedated or taking medication that clouded their focus.
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Some want to understand what details doctors are sharing – and sometimes not sharing – with one another.
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Some want to share their health information with doctors in different provinces or states (if a doctor in Alberta is registered to use Netcare they can view your electronic health record, but doctors outside the province cannot register to use it; likewise, treatment received outside Alberta will not be recorded in Netcare).
She also outlines:
- How we can sign-up for MyHealth Records – recently released by Alberta Health Services – to view online your recent blood test results, prescriptions, and immunizations, and
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How we can submit a formal request to the clinic or hospital that provided treatment.
Make sure to click here to read her blog post in full to gain some really helpful information on how and why we should be requesting access for our medical records!
Kirsten Veugelers, Founder/Owner of Navigate Your Health is a member of the Westend Seniors Activity Centre’s, Friends of WSAC business program. In June 2019, she had a Toonie Talk presentation here at our centre on how to enjoy eating more vegetables. Since then, she has consistently provided valuable information through her website blog to seniors navigating the health care system and give solid advice on nutrition.
