A front-page story in the Calgary Herald Monday said Alberta’s electronic health record project could end up costing $1.4 billion by the time it is finished. However, it observed that there is no target date for when that will be.

The story said $674 million has been spent thus far with $66 million more slated for this year.

This will go towards various activities including launching Phase One of a new Personal Health Portal, a five-year initiative that will begin by offering information about programs and services for staying well. Eventually, it will allow patients to access their medical information, schedule appointments and even communicate online with their health professionals.

A report on the province’s electronic health record effort was published by the Auditor General last October, and the Herald noted many of its criticisms. These included the fact that there was no integrated delivery plan connecting the different elements of the electronic health record. The government also did not have the means of comparing the costs with the benefits of the system. HE