Health Quality Council of Alberta to investigate after some AHS referrals weren’t properly processed

The Health Quality Council of Alberta is investigating how some medical referrals weren’t properly processed, potentially affecting 14,000 patients over the last five years across the province.

The referrals were made to specialists outside of Alberta Health Services, such as physiotherapists and dietitians.

The health authority’s CEO, Athana Mentzelopoulos, says it does an average 100,000 referrals per year, but in some cases it can’t confirm if patients received referral services.

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She says the problem was flagged in late September, and a preliminary estimate suggests 31 patients may have experienced a potential negative outcome due to the delays.

The provincial government requested the investigation, and the quality council is to find out how the snag occurred and how it can be prevented in the future.

The health authority says it has begun notifying patients who may have been affected by the disruption, and the cases could date back to 2019.