The government's online service portal, MyGovNL, was launched in 2019 and has seen a surge in users since the pandemic began.
Stephen Green, chief information officer and vice-president of digital health for Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, said people can now sign up to access their personal health records through the government's online services portal, MyGovNL.(Lindsay Bird/CBC)
Newfoundland and Labrador residents can now access their personal health records online to view information like prescribed medications and test results, in a move provincial health officials say is safe.
According to the state health department's website, users must be NL residents, be 16 years of age or older, have a valid MCP plan, a valid driver's license or government-issued photo ID, and a valid account on the government's online services portal, MyGovNL.
Stephen Green, chief information officer and vice-president of digital health for Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, said the system will give people secure access to their personal health records.
He said online access would allow patients to monitor chronic conditions and medications, helping people feel more involved and informed about their health care.
He said personal health records online are safe.
“The privacy and security of personal health information is of the utmost importance to us. The Personal Health Record Portal utilises the highest privacy standards to ensure that residents can have confidence that their information is protected,” Green told CBC News.
Green added that they have added several verification checks: People who sign up for the service will have their online records matched against MCP records and driver's licenses.
In 2021, a devastating ransomware cyber attack stole 200 gigabytes of data and paralyzed the state's health care system.
The 115-page report from the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner found that the Department of Health and Social Services had received warnings about vulnerable systems before the attack but failed to act on the information.
“Cautiously optimistic”
Jonathan Anderson, an associate professor at Memorial University and a computer security expert, said these types of online services are a “balancing act” between security concerns and giving people more information.
“It's a balancing act that can get out of balance,” Anderson told CBC News.
So far, he says he's “cautiously optimistic” about the program, and as a privacy and security researcher, he's currently in the process of signing up and waiting for the code to arrive in the mail.
Jonathan Anderson is an Associate Professor at Memorial University specializing in computer security and privacy. He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge.
Jonathan Anderson, an associate professor at Memorial University who specializes in computer security and privacy, said he is cautiously optimistic about the new online program. (Mark Cumby/CBC)
“Certainly, one of the problems that can happen with big, complex, bloated, very old IT systems is that they can remain hidden for a long time,” he said in an interview.
“They don't update, they don't adapt, they don't evolve, and as a result, you can end up with a very vulnerable system.”
He's pleased to see two-factor authentication being implemented as part of security measures, but would like to see additional features, such as an authenticator app.
He said he had looked at MyGovNL's code and found several potential vulnerabilities, and would like to see evidence that the system was being maintained.
“There's nothing that would really ring any alarm bells, but on the other hand there are some things to be aware of.”
Information Disclosure
Green said that for now, health officials are only making certain information available on the online service, such as test results, X-ray results and medications, but they plan to expand the range of files they provide over time. He said the file backlog will vary by health region and type of service, but that health officials will eventually include older records.
He said 51,000 people have signed up for personal health records, with more than 26,000 logging in to access their information.
It takes time for results to be received and uploaded to the online portal, he said. There is a seven-day delay before test results are made available to a person's online record, and a 14-day delay for X-ray reports.
“This was actually done in consultation with the clinicians involved in the project to ensure there was enough time to communicate information to patients and to liaise with them,” Mr Green said.
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