Pilot project to address health record gaps near Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary

An Alberta pilot in Lloydminster will give some Saskatchewan-based doctors and pharmacists read-only access to Alberta's Netcare electronic health record system following recent amendments to provincial rules; the initial rollout will start with one community pharmacy and one physician's office.

A new Alberta government pilot launched in Lloydminster this January to address long-standing problems with cross-border health records. The project responds to situations where Alberta residents see specialists in Alberta but their local Saskatchewan-based family doctors cannot view those test results, and vice versa. The initiative follows recent amendments to Alberta's Health Information Act and the Alberta Electronic Health Record Regulation after earlier efforts raised privacy questions. Local officials and advisory council members have been advocating for change for years and expect a health needs assessment in the coming months. Key details: - The pilot will grant Saskatchewan-based doctors and pharmacists view-only access to Alberta's Netcare electronic health record system. - Onboarding will begin with one community pharmacy and one physician's office, with plans to expand to other providers such as nurse practitioners and registered nurses. - All participating providers must meet Alberta's privacy, security and regulatory requirements and will receive role-based, read-only access appropriate to their scope. - The effort follows work that began with Bill 46 in 2020, which stalled after concerns from Alberta's information and privacy commissioner. - Lloydminster's only hospital is on the Saskatchewan side; Alberta residents who receive hospital care there must request records from the Saskatchewan Health Authority, with a $20 fee that can often be waived. Summary: The pilot aims to reduce record-sharing gaps that can lead to repeat tests and confusion for patients who receive care on both sides of the provincial boundary. Its immediate scope is limited and the provincial ministry says no decisions have been made about wider expansion. A health needs assessment is expected in the coming months to identify additional gaps and possible next steps.