Alberta launches review of electronic health systems

EDMONTON – The province of Alberta has issued a request for proposals to review health information systems, including the Alberta Netcare, the MyHealth Records personal information portal, and the long-awaited Connect Care network.

Connect Care is the provincial project to link the records of hospitals, ambulatory clinics and continuing care centres. It’s designed to consolidate some 1,300 information systems used by Alberta Health Services, many of which are badly outdated, unconnected and expensive to maintain.

For patients, the project was touted as a way to provide a single medical record that can be accessed at any point in the health system, including by patients themselves. Health professionals who still use paper for some tasks, will move to more modern processes, while AHS administrators can use data in the platform to improve quality and safety.

The former NDP government committed $400 million over five years for the project, though the entire initiative is expected to cost about $1.6 billion.

Alberta Netcare is the province’s electronic health record while MyHealth Records is an online tool allowing Albertans to see their information from Alberta Netcare, such as lab test results.

Health Minister Tyler Shandro (pictured) said in a statement that the review would improve efficiency.

The province said the review will include consultations with healthcare professionals and patient groups. It’s expected to launch this summer, with a report due back to government by Dec. 31.