Accessing your own health-care information is now little more than a mouse click or a screen tap away for people in Chatham-Kent.
Well, there is more security involved in that, but thanks to ConnectMyHealth, a new online portal, the public can access their personal health records across multiple participating hospitals in southwestern Ontario, including the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance.
There is no charge for the access, and it’s open to anyone aged 16 or older.
Access can come via desktop computer, laptop, or even your mobile device.
Plus, there is no app to download.
Melissa Sharpe-Harrigan, executive transformation lead for the C-K Ontario Health Team, said having access to one’s health-care information can be empowering.
“It’s having access to your own information and owning your own health record,” she said.
Once registered, individuals will be able to view various types of health records, including lab results, diagnostic tests such as X-rays, MRIs and ultrasounds, and more.
Individuals can also receive email notifications when new results are ready to be viewed, and can also print their health records to easily bring to appointments and for personal record keeping.
In the wake of the October cyberattack that impacted hospitals across our region, Harrigan said ConnectMyHealth will not serve as a potential way for hackers to get into the system.
“It’s incredibly secure. It’s not a permanent record that is left out on the Internet; it’s just a window through to your records. It adds a level of security,” she said. “There is no direct connection between what you see and the hospital system. It just pulls it over as a view.”
Add to that the fact a user must provide multifactor identification to register and at each sign in, and Harrigan said organizers are “incredibly confident in ensuring patient information is protected.”
ConnectMyHealth does not limit a person’s ability to access records in just the present day either.
“Through the portal, you can look at information on your health record from the hospital going back decades,” Harrigan said. “I was able to retrieve the ultrasound images for when I was pregnant with my daughter. She’s now eight years old.”
Being able to look at a bigger picture can allow patients to view trends in their health over the course of hospital and doctor visits through the years.
“For example, you can take your blood work – maybe you are measuring your sugar – and you can see a trend line. You can monitor your glucose journey over the course of that timeline,” Harrigan said.
However, the immediate access to test results can be comforting as well. But Harrigan admitted ConnectMyHealth is not for everyone.
“From my vantage point, as a patient, it felt empowering,” the breast cancer survivor said. “I could come to my doctor visits better prepared. However, some people want their doctor to explain things.
“During my active cancer treatments, I logged in twice a month. It was really reassuring,” Harrigan added.
To register for ConnectMyHealth online patient portal, or for more information visit: https://info.connectmyhealth.ca.
