Do you have questions that can’t wait until you see your doctor? What if your child is sick and you don’t know if you should take them to an emergency department?
Do you know how to find healthcare services, providers, and information?
There are many sources of information to answer these questions.
When you search for information online, the best information doesn’t always come up first. Read the information carefully. Compare it with other sources to help you decide what to trust and what’s accurate.
For health information that you can trust, use the sources below and the ones they share on their websites.
To get tips on how to know if you can trust the health and science-related information that you find, visit:
Important Phone Numbers
If you have an emergency and need help right now,
call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Department or Urgent Care Centre.
For 24/7 nurse advice and general health information,
call Health Link at 811.
Search for a healthcare provider, such as a family doctor, a dentist, or an eye doctor (optometrist). You’ll also find information about other types of healthcare providers.
Find information about locations of hospitals, healthcare facilities, programs, and services in your area.
MyHealth.Alberta.ca has easy-to-understand information about your health, medicines, tests, and other topics.
Select an information type to help you learn about sources of information that are important to Alberta's
healthcare system.
You and your family
Your family is an important source of information about your health. Family includes your family members, guardians, friends, and other people in your life that give you support and care.
You and your family know the most about your health. So that’s why you and your family are the most important source of your health information. No one can understand the healthcare you need without
you. It doesn’t matter if you’re healthy, working to stay healthy, or at the end of life.
When you ask questions and tell your healthcare providers what’s happening with your health, it gives them the information they need to work with you and plan your care.
Your family can also go with you to your health-related appointments. Having someone with you can help you remember details and share important information about your health. You can choose whether or not you want someone to go with you to your appointments.
Learn about
other sources of health information.
Government Resources
There are several government-related sources of health information in Alberta.
Alberta Health
Alberta Health is the department of the Government of Alberta that’s responsible for the healthcare system in Alberta. It oversees:
- health laws, regulations, rules, and bylaws
- health funding
- the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan
The Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan tells you what health services are paid for by the Government of Alberta. Your Alberta Personal Health Card lets your healthcare providers know that you belong to this plan.
Find out more about
Alberta Health and what’s covered by the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan:
Alberta Health Services
Alberta Health Services (AHS) delivers healthcare services to Albertans on behalf of the Government of Alberta. This includes healthcare services in hospitals and community health centres.
AHS also offers:
- health information for Albertans (through Health Link and MyHealth.Alberta.ca)
- information about where to find a doctor or healthcare services (through Health Link and MyHealth.Alberta.ca)
Learn more about
Alberta Health Services,
Health Link, and
MyHealth.Alberta.ca.
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada has health information for all people in Canada. You may want to visit the following Government of Canada pages for more information about health, public health, and travel health:
Digital health tools
Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services support digital health tools that let you see some of your health information online.
These tools are very secure. So to use them, you need to get an Alberta.ca Account first. Once you have an Alberta.ca Account, you’ll be able sign up for these tools.
You can securely access these health records from anywhere as long as you’re connected to the internet.
MyHealth Records is an online tool that lets Albertans 14 years of age or older see some of their health information from Alberta Netcare (the provincial electronic health record).
MyHealth Records tools include My Personal Records and MyAHS Connect.
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My Personal Records lets you see your prescriptions, some lab tests, and your immunizations. It’s available to all Albertans. You can also link some of your fitness apps and set medical appointment reminders with My Personal Records.
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MyAHS Connect lets you see your health information that’s collected by AHS and its partners. You can add information about your health to your MyAHS Connect account for your healthcare team to see. You’ll also be able to see any information that your healthcare team adds to your account.
Find out more about
Alberta.ca Account,
MyHealth Records, and
MyAHS Connect.
Health Quality Council of Alberta
The Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA) measures and looks at how well the healthcare system is working. It works with other health system partners to make the safety and quality of healthcare better for Albertans. The HQCA:
- asks Albertans about their experiences with the healthcare system (through surveys)
- shares information about how our healthcare system is doing
- reviews and recommends how to improve safety and quality
- offers resources and practical tools to help healthcare providers and teams
Find out more about the
HQCA.
Office of the Alberta Health Advocates
The Office of the Alberta Health Advocates gives information about the Alberta Health Charter and patients’ rights.
The Alberta Health Charter lets you know what you can expect from healthcare providers and what’s expected from you.
Alberta Health Advocates:
- help you learn about your rights
- connect you to the services, programs, and resources that you’re looking for or need
- help you find someone to listen to your complaints or concerns about your healthcare
- offer ways to help you solve an issue or find someone who can help you
- can share ways to help you communicate with your health providers
Find out more about the
Office of the Alberta Health Advocates and the
Alberta Health Charter.
Learn about
other sources of health information.
Professional resources
Each health profession (such as registered nurses and physiotherapists) has a website that gives more information on who they are and what they do.
You can search online for information about professional colleges, health associations, regulatory bodies, or professions to find out more about health professions in Alberta.
To find a healthcare provider, go to the
Healthcare Providers section on MyHealth.Alberta.ca.
Learn about
other sources of health information.
Education and research resources
You can search online to find information about healthcare-related education and research resources.
Use words like “education in Alberta”, “post-secondary”, “research”, or search by the names of universities or colleges in Alberta. Some examples of healthcare-related education and research resources in Alberta include:
Learn about
other sources of health information.
Online information sources
There are many sources of online health information in Alberta, including:
Other sources of online health information include:
- your insurance provider’s website (like Alberta Blue Cross)
- private caregiver websites
- not-for-profit organizations’ websites (like those that focus on family violence, experiencing homelessness, or specific diseases)
- news websites
- integrative health websites (this provides information about complimentary or alternative healthcare, also called complementary and alternative medicine or CAM)
Talk to your healthcare providers about all products and practices you use, or are thinking about using, to manage your health. To learn more about complimentary or alternative healthcare approaches, visit
Alberta’s Integrative Health Network and
MyHealth.Alberta.ca.
Search tips
You can search online for health information using words such as “healthcare", “Alberta”, and “find a doctor”. Be as specific as you can to help you find what you’re looking for.
You can also search by the name of a health profession (such as physiotherapist or dentist) or by the name of a clinic.
When you search for information online, it doesn’t mean the best information comes up first. Read the information carefully. Compare it with other sources to help you decide what to trust and what’s accurate.
If you need help, call 211 or 811 to speak with an information specialist. They can help you find what you’re looking for.
For tips to help you decide if you can trust the health and science-related information that you find, visit:
Learn about
other sources of health information.
