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Canadians Who Access Health Records Electronically

Percentage of Canadians who have reported accessing their personal health information online at any time

High indicator results are desirable.

Data updated:
Data availability: (calendar years)
Calculation

Percentage of Canadians who have reported accessing their personal health information electronically at any time

Denominator

Total number of individuals age 16 and older (based on weighted survey responses from the Canadian Digital Health Survey)

Numerator

Total number of individuals age 16 and older who answered “yes” to the following question:
“Have you ever accessed this digitally enabled health service at any time in the past? … Access your own personal health information electronically (e.g., lab test results, medication history, immunization record).” 
(based on weighted survey responses from the Canadian Digital Health Survey) 

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Name

Canadians Who Access Health Records Electronically

Short/Other Names

Not applicable

Description

Canadians who have ever accessed their personal health information online at any time

Rationale

This indicator supports measurement of Canadians’ access to their personal health information electronically. Electronic health record access empowers patients to take an active role in managing their health, which contributes to better health care outcomes. Electronic health record access can be supplemented by formal requests (written or verbal) to health information custodians like doctors, clinics or hospitals.

This indicator can help outline disparities as well as knowledge and information gaps impacting Canadians’ ability to efficiently access their personal health information.

Interpretation

High indicator results are desirable.

HSP Framework Dimension

Health system inputs and characteristics: Health system innovation and learning capacity

Targets/Benchmarks

Not applicable

Available Data Years

(calendar years)

Reporting Level/Disaggregation

  • Age
  • Sex at birth
  • Income
  • Geography (rural/other)

Indicator Results

Update Frequency

Every year

Latest Results Update Date

Updates

Not applicable

Description

Percentage of Canadians who have reported accessing their personal health information electronically at any time

Type of Measurement

Percentage or proportion - Rate

Denominator

Description:

Total number of individuals age 16 and older (based on weighted survey responses from the Canadian Digital Health Survey)

Inclusions:

Not applicable

Exclusions:

Non-response categories (don’t know, prefer not to answer)

Numerator

Description:

Total number of individuals age 16 and older who answered “yes” to the following question:
“Have you ever accessed this digitally enabled health service at any time in the past? … Access your own personal health information electronically (e.g., lab test results, medication history, immunization record).” 
(based on weighted survey responses from the Canadian Digital Health Survey) 

Inclusions:

Not applicable

Exclusions:

Non-response categories (don’t know, prefer not to answer)

Method of Adjustment

  • Sample weight

Geographic Assignment

Place of residence

Data Sources

Caveats and Limitations

Indicator results may not be fully representative of the general population of Canadians as survey dissemination was limited to an online panel and participation was voluntary. These factors impact result generalizability, as many subgroups are under-represented in the online panel or could have chosen not to complete the survey.

The survey results are weighted based on 2021 Census data that relates to region, age and gender to reflect the distribution of these factors in the larger Canadian population.

The survey also relies on a non-probability sample, meaning a margin of error cannot be calculated.

Finally, the indicator does not indicate by which electronic means citizens are accessing their personal health information, nor does it specify what type of personal health information is being accessed.

Trending Issues

None

Comments

This indicator is part of a set of common indicators to measure progress on the priority areas to improve health care announced by federal, provincial and territorial governments in 2023. Additional information is available on the Shared Health Priorities web page. 

Work is underway to collect future information for this indicator from Statistics Canada’s survey data sources.

References

Canada Health Infoway. 2023 Canadian Digital Health Survey: Understanding Canadians’ experiences with digital health. Accessed May 31, 2024.

Statistics Canada. Census profile, 2021 Census of Population. Accessed September 2023.   

How to cite:

Canadian Institute for Health Information. Canadians Who Access Health Records Electronically. Accessed April 24, 2025.