Saskatchewan patients have even more of their own health information at their fingertips with the addition of a new Surgical Procedures feature on MySaskHealthRecord accounts.

The feature is a first in Canada and with its introduction, anyone with an account can now see information about upcoming surgeries, including:

* Scheduled procedure date

* Specialist/surgeon’s name

* Procedure name(s)

* Procedure location

* Status of procedure

Accounts will also contain information about surgical procedures performed from 2018 onwards.

“MySaskHealthRecord puts important personal health information literally in the palm of a patient’s hand,” Mental Health and Addictions, Seniors and Rural and Remote Health Minister Tim McLeod said. “Saskatchewan continues to lead in allowing patients to access their own personal health information in an easy-to-use format. I’m happy to say that we’re the first province to make information about upcoming surgical procedures available to patients through their online health record.”

The Surgical Procedures feature will be accessible online and via the app for anyone who has a MySaskHealthRecord account. Patients awaiting surgery should already be able to see information about their upcoming procedures. Patients can also sign up for push notifications, alerting them to information.

“When patients like me can access medical information, it lets us become active participants in our own health care and reduces the anxiety that can come from not knowing,” Patient Family Partner Wendy Kopciuch said. “Having access to information about upcoming surgical procedures means I can have informed conversations with my health care team, and also arrange my personal and professional life to accommodate my surgery date.”

“Well-informed patients are better prepared for appointments with their health care providers and can be more directly involved in decisions impacting their surgical procedures,” Provincial Department Head of Surgery for the Saskatchewan Health Authority Dr. Michael Kelly said. “When patients can easily access information ahead of time, it allows us to make good use of the time we have together. We spend less time on scheduling details and can focus on discussing their individual journey toward timely surgical care.”

MySaskHealthRecord was launched in October of 2019, giving Saskatchewan residents access to lab test results and other health records online. The MySaskHealthRecord app was introduced in May of 2023 to make accessing personal health information even easier. The app has been downloaded an average of 10,000 times each month since then.

Residents who have a MySaskHealthRecord account can use it to see their clinical visit history, medical imaging reports, lab test results, immunization history, prescription history and now information about surgical procedures from 2018 onwards.

To register for a MySaskHealthRecord account residents need to be 14 years or older, have a valid SGI driver’s license or SGI photo ID, have an active Saskatchewan Health Services card and have an email address. Visit www.ehealthsask.ca/mysaskhealthrecord to learn more or register.