More lab results coming online for patients

January 13, 2021

Dear Members: 

As of February 5, more lab results will be accessible to Albertans through the My Health Records (MHR) portal. These lab results will be viewable through the My Personal Records (MPR) application, giving patients immediate and direct access to more of their own health information. This change will also serve as an additional safety net for patient care within the system.

The results will be viewable as soon as they are released by the lab:

• About 95% of the most commonly ordered (by volume) lab test results will be viewable by February 1.  
• All remaining lab tests, including more complex results in microbiology, pathology and genetics, will be available in MPR by July 1. 
• Physicians and other providers will continue to have access to results information through their usual channels, including Alberta Netcare. 

We know that patients across the country have been asking for easier, direct access to their health information and this latest development will meet some of that need. For our part, physicians need to be prepared for the impact this increased access will have on our patients, practices and in the hospital setting. This may drive some changes in our patterns of work, and we will need to consider giving patients more information about the implications of different test results when initially ordering a test. This is going to take some more patient education up front. 

A webinar on this topic will be offered on two different dates as follows:

Real time release of labs to patients: What this means to your practice

This session is being presented twice: January 20 (hosted by the AMA) and January 27 (hosted by AHS).

• Register for the January 20 session, hosted by the AMA
• Register for the January 27 session, hosted by AHS

This session will prepare physicians for the planned release of 95% [by volume] of lab results to the My Health Records portal; this change is planned for February 5.

• Learn more

This will be an interactive session with presenters from CPSA and colleagues from primary care, acute care and oncology. Presenters will share their experiences and insights on what this means for your practice and how to adapt for this change. The session is open to physicians, nurse practitioners and office/administrative staff.

Learning objectives

• Assess the impact of real time lab release to patient and the need for pre-test counselling.
• Evaluate the impacts of patient access to labs on physician, clinic and/or hospital workflows.

January 20 event details:

Time

• 12 - 1 p.m.

Speakers

• Dr. Ewan Affleck
• Dr. Allen Ausford
• Dr. Brad Bahler
• Dr. Jay Easaw
• Dr. Rob Hayward

Session Moderator

• Dr. Heidi Fell

Register for this session

________________________________________

January 27 event details:

Time

• 5 - 6 p.m.

Speakers

• Dr. Allen Ausford
• Dr. Brad Bahler
• Dr. Jay Easaw
• Dr. Nigel Flook
• Dr. Rob Hayward

Session Moderator

• Dr. Stuart Rosser

Register for this session

More information on both webinars can be found on the AMA’s Webinars & Online Learning webpage. Please note the webinars will be recorded. If you are unable to join, the recording for the January 20 webinar will be posted on the AMA’s Webinars & Online Learning webpage within a few days following the event.

If you'd like to get in touch on this or any other topic, you can reach me in the usual ways:

• Communicate with me privately and directly by email if you would like a reply: president@albertadoctors.org  
• Comment publicly on this President’s Letter on the AMA website (please be aware that comments are public, i.e., not members-only, even if you are logged in as a member). 

Sincerely,

Paul E. Boucher, MD, FRCPC
President, Alberta Medical Association