Patient Systems

Over the past decade, there has been exponential growth in patient medical devices, patient generated health information, and the expectations of sharing information between patients and providers. For example, Apple Watch now allows millions of people to capture a single lead ECG and send it to their doctor – something that was simply unobtainable ten years ago.

While the list of patient acquired and managed clinical information will only continue to grow, some of the more common systems and data types being captured today include:

• Heart Rates and ECGs via Apple Watch, Kardia, etc.

• Blood Pressure via home blood pressure monitors.

• Blood Glucose via finger-prick and continuous glucose monitors.

Patients and families can access several different health provider systems in Alberta. These include:

• My Health Records (My Health Alberta) is the Alberta Health owned and operated provincial patient portal which provides access to lab results, COVID passports, and other health data.

• MyAHS Connect (MAC) is the patient portal for Alberta Health Services. MAC allows patients to schedule visits, access health information, send/receive device data, and so forth.

• Other provider and product portals – Many providers now offer their own local patient portals where patients can book visits, access health data, and so forth. Additionally, many device vendors are offering their own portals where patients and providers can share specific types of data, such as blood glucose data.

As of September 2021, both My AHS Connect and My Health Records Alberta have some ability to send/receive data from systems such as Apple, Garmin, and Kardia. Generally, patient portals are rapidly evolving in Alberta and new features are constantly being added, particularly as virtual health becomes more prevalent.

Related Resource(s):

MyHealth Alberta

MyAHS Connect