About the Project

Women living in rural and northern Alberta often face unique challenges accessing healthcare. This study aims to amplify these voices, understand their experiences, and explore to what extent healthcare is meeting the needs of this population. The project began in July of 2025 with iInitial findings highlighting significant challenges accessing healthcare among rural women. Many participants shared that they often feel unheard by healthcare providers or don’t have enough time or energy to focus on their health. They also expressed a need for more accessible supports, such as online health information and virtual healthcare appointments.  Complete results of this study are being prepared for academic publication (Autumn 2026) and pproject findings will be presented at the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF) 2026 conference in June. This project is led by Clark Banack, PhD as Principal Investigator and Serena Isley, MSC as Co-Investigator.

If you are a woman over 18 and would like to learn more about women’s health research projects or would like to participate in future women’s health research at the University of Alberta, please visit yegwomensresearch for information on upcoming studies, and programs including the virtual women's health clinic.