Questions & Answers

Can an individual obtain all their medical history from one source?

Each health service provider and/or health care facility retains independent patient records. If you want to get your records from your family physician and the local hospital, you will need to ask for your records from each source. If you have attended multiple physicians and/or multiple health care facilities, you will need to request access to your records from each independent custodian. For example, if you have attended the Foothills Hospital in Calgary, the U of A Hospital in Edmonton and a family physician in each of those cities, you will need to make four separate requests for access to your health information.

In some smaller communities, it may be that you need to go to a community health centre to see a doctor. In that case, all your records may be held by the health centre.

Finally, it is possible to obtain a “Statement of Benefits” from Alberta Health and Wellness that details billings that have been submitted to your Alberta Health Care account. While this Statement of Benefits will hold limited information (which doctor billed for a service, how much was paid and diagnostic code information), it may prove useful if you cannot remember which physicians have provided health services to you.

Statements of Benefits are available by contacting Alberta Health and Wellness at (780) 427-0845. If you are requesting historical information (i.e. older than one year old), fees may apply.

Back