Rural Personal Health Record - RCCbc 2024 Annual Report

The Rural Personal Health Records (rPHR) project is dedicated to enhancing digital health access for rural and remote patients. By enabling individuals to track and manage their health records, the initiative promotes patient engagement, improved care coordination, and interoperability across health systems.

“What makes the rPHR unique is its foundation on input from patients and families to ensure our voices are heard and our needs prioritized. This brings empowerment and hope.”

Sarah Hamilton, Patient Partner

Achievements

Producing the rPHR Video & Outreach Materials

By leveraging patient partnerships to amplify healthcare needs, the rPHR team produced a two-minute explainer video, slides, and posters to increase public understanding of how a PHR empowers patients. These resources highlight key patient priorities:

Supporting meaningful participation in care teams

Helping people track and better understand their health

Enabling caregivers and families to be part of the care team

These materials have been used in presentations, discussions, and outreach to strengthen patient and provider engagement with rPHR.

Watch the new video above.

Expanding rPHR Adoption in Clinics & Communities

The rPHR demonstration project significantly expanded adoption across BC, increasing from 15 providers in 2021 to 70 providers across 25 clinics in 2024. Patient enrollment also grew from 1,000 patients in 2021 to over 8,000 in 2024.

A community-up approach helped identify the most valued rPHR features, including:

Scheduling
Two-way secure messaging
Care plans
Questionnaires
Single sign-on integration

This grassroots-driven development ensures that rPHR aligns with patient and provider needs, making healthcare interactions more efficient and patient-centered.

National & International Recognition Through Presentations

The rPHR team presented at several major conferences in 2024, strengthening partnerships and exploring opportunities for provincial alignment. Highlights included:

TUFH Conference, South Africa (September 10–13) – A key opportunity to share BC’s rural digital health experience on a global stage.

BC HIMSS Conference (May 3) – Included an Assistant Deputy Minister on the panel discussing PHR adoption.

Flash Debate on Secure Messaging – A live event with over 200 health information leaders discussing the benefits and risks of two-way secure messaging between patients and providers.

These events reinforced rPHR’s role in digital health innovation, driving discussions on health information access, care coordination, and interoperability.

Explore the numbers

25 Clinics

25 clinics (~70 providers & ~8,000 patients) using a PHR in rural and remote BC.

6 Patient partners

Six highly engaged patient partners contributed to a 2-minute video on PHR needs.

6 Presentations

Six major conference presentations on patient-centered digital health.

200+ Attendees

200+ attendees engaged in a Flash Debate on secure messaging.

Project Partnerships

In 2024, rPHR collaborated with:

PHSA’s Health Gateway team to increase patient access to clinical summaries, care plans, and single sign-on efforts.

RCCbc’s P202 Evaluation Team to develop the 2024–2026 PHR evaluation plan.

These collaborations strengthen alignment with provincial digital health strategies, ensuring the sustainability and expansion of rPHR.

Making a Difference

“The rPHR initiative is extremely important, especially for rural residents who frequently travel for healthcare. Having our medical information in one place ensures that providers have what they need to create the best care plan for us. We are an integral part of our healthcare team, and this tool allows all members to do their best work.”

Peggy Skelton, Patient Partner & President of BC Rural Health Network

“Encouraging patients to direct their own care management is empowering and helps them navigate the healthcare system in partnership with providers. As a physician, I have experienced this from both sides of the bed. Knowledge is profoundly empowering when it is shared with mutual understanding and communication.”

Family Provider, Trail BC