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Canada: legality of requesting sleep study from clinic - jgudnason - 07-07-2021
HI All,
I've seen lots of posts from the U.S. saying you are legally entitled to your sleep study data from the sleep centers which perform your overnight tests.
Can anyone comment on the legality of that request in Canada? Are we also entitled to the report, or can they tell me to pound sand?
(background, I recently got a sleep test done, and have my Rx from the clinic, but not the detailed report which lead to that Rx. I would like to request a copy, but would like to know what kind of ground I stand on when requesting it.)
RE: Canada: legality of requesting sleep study from clinic - factor - 07-07-2021
This maybe. I am not Canadian
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/medical-records
RE: Canada: legality of requesting sleep study from clinic - jgudnason - 07-07-2021
well, response from sleep clinic is;
Quote:Unfortunately, we are unauthorized to send the sleep study reports directly to patients. You would need to request a copy from your family physician. We have already sent the reports to your doctor's office last June 14.
so back to the Dr office we go. but if the Dr has a copy, I'm fairly confident I can get my hands on it at least.
RE: Canada: legality of requesting sleep study from clinic - Dog Slobber - 07-07-2021
Healthcare is a provincial matter, not federal.
Here is a link to the the process to formally request a copy of your records in Alberta.
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/about/Page13433.aspx#ownhealthinfo
I'm assuming that this link is allowed under the forum rules because it links to a government site and not a commercial one.
RE: Canada: legality of requesting sleep study from clinic - theunk - 07-08-2021
(07-07-2021, 02:12 PM)jgudnason Wrote: well, response from sleep clinic is;
so back to the Dr office we go. but if the Dr has a copy, I'm fairly confident I can get my hands on it at least.
I have had no problem getting copies from my provider. The study is paid for by AHS and is part of your personal medical record. Let your doctor know and don't use them again.
RE: Canada: legality of requesting sleep study from clinic - Broacher - 07-10-2021
I'm brand spanking new to all this, but here, in southern Ontario, I went to a sleep lab and the only thing that they emailed me was a short list of vendors and a form to sign that basically said that they had explained everything to me (which they didn't) and that once I chose a vendor they would fax the vendor the prescription.
I called and nicely requested the prescription and the lab reports. They called back and said they would forward the results as PDF attachments for $20 (guess email file attaching requires special skills). So I etransfer the 20 bucks and immediately received a 4 page lab report with data charts, etc, a copy of my patient intake assessment, and a copy of the report that they sent to my GP. And the prescription.
I figure for the money CPAP gear is going to cost me, a 20 dollar lab report is worth it.
But I got the distinct impression when talking to the staffer who sent me the files that it's still a rare request from patients.
Good luck!
RE: Canada: legality of requesting sleep study from clinic - Geer1 - 07-11-2021
I believe the way the law works is that the prescribing doctor holds physical rights to the medical records but must share them with the patient. That means you have to go through the doctor ordering the test not the lab doing the test in order to get a copy of results.
This goes for most tests. When you get blood work done the lab doesn't send you a copy of results (although here in AB they made it so you can view some results online), when you get an xray or mri etc they don't send you images and interpretation (sometimes private options will give you images but not the interpretation). Results usually go to your doctor and then doctor shares with you, some doctors will share the information readily while others you have to ask for it.