How to see a parent's lab results in Canada

Many people want to help a parent make sense of their results. In Canada, the rules for seeing another adult's records are set by each province, and they are not the same everywhere. Here is what the official provincial sources say.

British Columbia: help them set up their own account

Health Gateway does not let you open the records of someone else aged 12 or older from your own account. Parents can add a child aged 11 or younger, but lab results are not available for those young dependents.

If you are supporting a family member aged 12 or older, the province suggests helping them set up their own Health Gateway account. They can then choose to share their health records with you and their care team.

Alberta: your parent can share their record with you

In Alberta, the account holder decides who else can see their record. Your parent can send you an invitation by email from their own account.

Your parent picks a passcode of 6 to 10 letters and numbers.
They choose a sharing level: one that lets you view, or one that lets you view and update.
They choose which types of information to share and an end date, or no end date.
They send the invitation to your email address.
They tell you the passcode another way, such as by phone. Do not send it by email.
You enter the passcode to accept the invitation.

Your parent can change your level of access at any time.
Each person needs a separate invitation.

Quebec: sharing with someone they trust

The Québec Health Booklet lets the account holder give someone they trust access to their health information.

People who are under guardianship or trusteeship, or who have a representative acting for them, are not eligible to log in to the booklet. The Québec page does not explain how a representative can view the record, so ask the service or your parent's care team about other ways to get it.

Ontario: substitute decision-makers can request records

Ontario's My Health Record is for each person aged 16 or older, using their own photo health card and My Ontario Account for Health.

Ontario Health says a person, or their substitute decision-maker, can request access to the person's health information held in the provincial electronic health record. Requests for lab test results go to the Ministry of Health's Access and Privacy Office.

If your parent lives in another province

Each province sets its own rules. Check the health ministry website of the province where your parent gets care, or ask their family doctor or clinic how results can be shared with a family member.

Call 911 in an emergency. For health advice that is not an emergency, call 811 in most provinces and territories. For questions about your results, contact your family doctor, nurse practitioner or the clinic that ordered the test.

Keep your reports in one place

Take a photo or screenshot of your lab report, or upload the PDF, and Vita explains each number in plain words, suggests what to ask your doctor, and keeps it with your past results. Vita does not connect to any Canadian health record system. Hospital connections are for US hospitals, not Canadian ones.

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Questions

Can I see my parent's results from my own account?

It depends on the province. In Alberta, your parent can invite you to view their record. In B.C., you cannot add another adult to your account, but your parent can set up their own and choose to share. In Quebec, the booklet lets your parent give someone they trust access.

What does Ontario offer for a substitute decision-maker?

Ontario Health says a substitute decision-maker can request access to a person's health information in the provincial electronic health record. For lab results, the request goes to the Ministry of Health's Access and Privacy Office.

Can my parent stop sharing later?

In Alberta, your parent can change your level of access at any time, and can set an end date when sharing. After that date, you can no longer see the record. Other provinces explain their own rules on their portal pages.

Who can explain my parent's results?

The health care provider who ordered the test can explain what the results mean for your parent. If your parent agrees, you can go with them to the appointment.

More for Canada

Sources

General information, not medical advice. VitaMedas is not connected with any government health service. Vita Health Coach explains; it never diagnoses. In an emergency, call 911. Read the medical disclaimer.