Alberta Netcare: Created in Alberta for Alberta Health Professionals
How Does Alberta Netcare Work?
Alberta Netcare is not a single database, but rather a network of data repositories and information systems. Each has an important function and together they form the provincial Electronic Health Record.
Clinical data is collected through point-of-service systems (in hospitals, laboratories, testing facilities, pharmacies, and clinics), and is sent through secure messaging to the provincial repositories and information systems. When a health professional logs on to the Alberta Netcare, and searches for a patient record, the portal retrieves all of the available information from the provincial systems and presents it as a unified patient record.
How Does MyHealth Records Work?
MyHealth Records empowers Albertans to manage their care by providing a secure and convenient place online to view select personal health records drawn from Alberta Netcare, Alberta’s electronic health record. Users will also be able to enter and track their own health information to later share with their healthcare providers. Research has highlighted improvements in the quality of patient-healthcare provider interactions, with patients reporting they are better informed about their own health, such as being better prepared for healthcare visits and understanding the impact of treatments and preventative care on clinical outcomes. Many health systems have seen significant benefit from providing patients direct access to test results. There are often fears that it will drive additional workload when in reality this is not typically the case. In some cases, electronic access to lab test results can reduce the number of unnecessary visits and follow-up calls to inquire about results.
MyHealth Records users can:
- Add and store personal health information
- View their lab test results (lab results for the last 18 months are available when users first sign in. New results show up as they become available)
- View their immunization history (includes most immunizations given in Alberta)
- View their medications filled at Alberta pharmacies (Dispensed prescription medication information for the last 18 months is available when users first sign in. New dispensed prescriptions from most pharmacies show up each time users login)
- View their diagnostic imaging reports (reports from Alberta Netcare will show up as they become available. No reports prior to March 20, 2023 are available online)
- Print reports to share with their healthcare providers
- Download and track information from devices such as blood pressure monitors, fitness trackers, and Apple Health
- Share their record with people they trust
- Safely exchange messages with their healthcare providers
Research has highlighted improvements in the quality of patient healthcare provider interactions, with patients reporting they are better informed about their own health, such as being better prepared for healthcare visits and understanding the impact of treatments and preventative care on clinical outcomes. Many health systems have seen significant benefit from providing patients direct access to test results. There are often fears that it will drive additional workload when in reality this is not typically the case. In some cases, electronic access to lab test results can reduce the number of unnecessary visits and follow-up calls to inquire about results.
