October 1, 2020
CALGARY – Alberta Health Services (AHS) is following-up with Albertans whose COVID-19 test results were not successfully delivered by the automated text message or autodialer systems, between September 10 and September 29, 2020.
Albertans whose results were impacted by this issue will receive a phone or text follow-up from AHS. That process has already started. Only those with negative results will have been impacted as all positive results are followed up by a direct phone call from AHS.
The error that caused this issue was identified and corrected on September 29, and monitoring has confirmed that this issue has not impacted any further results beyond September 29.
This issue did not impact the delivery of results to the MyHealth Records system. Pharmacists and physicians also received all results, as anticipated, without delay.
From September 10 to September 29, more than 224,000 COVID-19 results were successfully delivered by text and autodialer. About 5,000 results were impacted by this issue, representing less than 3% of all results processed through these systems, in that same time period. Of that 3%, all positive results were communicated via direct phone calls.
In addition to consenting to receiving test results by text or autodialer, Albertans are reminded that results are also available by signing up for the MyHealth Records system, at alberta.ca/myhealthrecords
For more information on COVID-19 testing, please visit ahs.ca/covid.
