Rural Health Equity through Social Enterprise and Technology Synergies

A big thank you to our wonderful panel of presenters at our Cafe Scientifique event "Decisions that Matter: Personalized Atrial Fibrillation Self-Care in a Digital World" Monday March 23, 2026 for an excellent and informative evening!

If you were unable to attend this in-person event in Kelowna, please check out the recording on the UBC Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention’s YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAooqlSZMaI

This event was funded by the Canadian Institute for Health Research via a Planning and Dissemination Grant.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Do you or someone you care about live with atrial fibrillation (AFib)?

If you are in Kelowna in March, please join us for an in-person Cafe Scientifique focused on personalized AFib self care in a digital world. This free, community based event brings together experts who can help you understand AFib, manage symptoms, and make informed decisions about your health.

You will have the chance to ask questions, learn practical self care strategies, and explore how digital tools can support AFib management in everyday life.

📅 March 23
⏰ 5:30–7:00 pm
📍 Okanagan Regional Library 1380 Ellis Street, Kelowna V1Y 2A2

👉 Register here: https://www.okanaganembraceaging.com/events/atrial-fibrillation/

Check out our team's latest publication: A systematic review of digital literacy training within interventions to support older adults with cardiovascular disease in using technologies!

www.sciencedirect.com

If you are in Kelowna in March, please join us for this free in-person event Monday March 23, 2026, 5:30-7:00 PM in the Okanagan Regional Library, Great room!

Free and open to the public, but please register to let us know you plan to attend: https://www.okanaganembraceaging.com/events/atrial-fibrillation/

Join us in Kelowna for a discussion with experts about atrial fibrillation self-care If you are in Kelowna in March, please join us for this free in-person event Monday March 23, 2026, 5:30-7:00 PM in the Okanagan Regional Library, Great room, Kelowna Decisions That Matter…

Thank you to everyone who participated in our UBC survey on Canadian digital skills training supports and needs, “Innovations in Digital Inclusion”.
The three $100 draw prize winners were from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick!
Winners have been notified.

Our team will be sharing some results from our survey of library-delivered digital literacy training at the Ontario Library Association Super conference this January 2026!

We are joining virtually and our session recoding will be available to all attendees, so if you are attending this conference in-person or virtually, please check it out!

This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada and the University of British Columbia (UBC).
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)

Please check out our latest publication: A systematic review of rural digital social innovations for health and social care!
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmhs.2025.100143

This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council of Canada New Frontiers in Research Fund Special Call for COVID-19 recovery

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)

www.sciencedirect.com

Check out the great coverage of our rural community research! Manuscripts are available open access: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0330347 and https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103812 Error 408: Your internet connection is unstable https://pentictonherald.ca/spare_news/article_2ae33a1f-1411-5965-a0fe-be88b4f23de0.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share via

Error 408: Your internet connection is unstable If you’ve spent minutes on end watching the “buffering” symbol spin endless circles when trying to stream video content or use high-speed internet, you’re not alone – especially if you

Access to high speed connectivity is a challenge for many rural Canadians.

Check out a new publication on experiences with high-speed broadband connectivity in rural British Columbia led by Dr Kathy Rush at UBCO and hear what rural patients had to say

Read the full article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103812

This work was supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight grant and the University of British Columbia (UBC).

BC Rural Health Network

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)

Check out our team's latest findings from a survey of rural British Columbians with and without high-speed broadband published in the journal PLOS One: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0330347

This work was supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight grant and the University of British Columbia (UBC).

Looking beyond digital broadband speeds: Rural British Columbian’s experiences with internet connectivity as a basic necessity Aim This study examined the experience of digital connectivity among rural-living British Columbians both with and without access to high-speed Internet at home. Background Evidence indicates that fewer rural communities have access to high-speed Internet compared to urban communities in Canada, des...

Survey deadline extended!
Are you 19+ years old and currently (or were you in the past year) working or volunteering for an organization in CANADA that offers some type of digital skills training, support, or resources that reaches older adults?
Participate in a 10–15 minute UBC survey to help build a National picture of Canada’s digital skills training supports and needs.
Link to the Survey:
https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bK0hP4blmbp8YDA...
For more information please contact the Research Coordinator, Cherisse Seaton directly (Email: [email protected]), rather than posting a public comment.
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Principal investigator: Dr. Kathy Rush, UBCO, School of Nursing