Patient Records

Everything you want to know!

Some lab (not XRay results) may be made accessible to patients, on a case by case basis.  Usually these are normal results, which provide reassurance.  When there is an abnormal result, or something which needs explaining, you may be asked to come in to discuss it.  You are trusting your doctor to interpret the results received, to provide optimal care.  With our current system, doctors each review 10-40 results a day, and the process to share results does take time- it is not practical for all results to be posted, or for doctors to provide photocopies of all results received.  If there are results that are not open for you to see, you have other options.  (Myhealth.alberta.ca lets you review many of your own results, and went live in March 2019).

Doctors are custodians of all patient records.  The Health Information Act lays out how patients can access any records that they wish to see/have.  As set out in the Act, your first step is to remit a $25 fee and request which records you want.  This covers reviewing your request, determining if any additional fees are necessary, and the first 20 pages of requested records.  If more than 20 pages are requested, you will be told what the final bill would be (fees for photocopying fees set by law), waiting for your authorization.