New portal allows patients in Guelph and Wellington County easier access to hospital records

Hospital patients in Guelph and Wellington County will now be able to access their health records online.

Guelph General Hospital, North Wellington Health Care and Groves Memorial Community Hospital in Fergus are participating in ConnectMyHealth, an online portal launched by the Guelph Wellington Ontario Health Team.

The portal provides a single access point that will allow patients to view their health records. It combines various types of health records created at hospitals into one consolidated view.

“It is less about where a patient lives in terms of whether or not their information will be accessible,” said Emmi Perkins, director of transformation at Guelph Wellington Ontario Health Team.

“It is more about the hospital and whether or not it can get contributing data to the site.”

The service is operated by the HITS eHealth Office at Hamilton Health Sciences and is being funded by the province.

“Patients have been rightfully advocating for many years to be considered as and enabled to be partners in their own care,” Perkins said.

“The more information that patients have about their health and their care, the more empowered they can be. Having this information will ensure they can ask questions so that they understand their health and the care that is provided to them.”

Patients can access ConnectMyHealth through their mobile device or on their desktop computer. It is available to residents 16 and older who have health records at hospitals in Ontario Health’s West Region.

“The most important thing is just giving access to information and making it a more equitable access to information by making it a free portal as well,” said Katelyn Young, GW OHT equity and engagement co-ordinator.

The announcement comes in the wake of a data breach at Better Outcomes Registry and Network (BORN) where hackers were able to access the personal information of 3.4 million people.

GW OHT is taking steps to assure patients who register for ConnectMyHealth that the information they provide is protected.

“It’s a multi-step process,” Perkins said.

“You not only have to provide your health card, but a photo showing you holding your health card. It is robust in terms of what you actually have to do to register.”

For information or to register for ConnectMyHealth, please visit its website.