Virtual Healthcare Communities: The Use of Web-based and Mobile Intelligent Technologies for Risk Assessment and Health Management in Rural and Remote Communities Alma Barranco-Mendoza, Ph.D. (corresponding author), Health Informatics Research Group, Trinity Western University, Langley, BC, Canada. alma@infogenetica.com Deryck R. Persaud, Ph.D., Infogenetica Bioinformatics, Coquitlam, BC, Canada. deryck@infogenetica.com Abstract Advances in the fields of web-based and mobile technologies have changed the way in which society interacts and communicates. Virtual communities and social networks have emerged on just about any topic of human interest. The medical field is not excluded from the impact of these new technologies. In addition, advances in the field of Artificial Intelligence and, more specifically, Medical Informatics and Medical Risk Assessment Systems have also impacted substantially the way in which we assess, diagnose, and manage patients’ health. With the increasing expansion of the Internet and mobile phone coverage in remote and rural communities in Canada, there are tremendous opportunities available to improve the access of specialized medical information to general practitioners and federal and provincial health resources for patient self- management. However, it is important to identify the extent of the functionality of each one of these technologies and their advantages and disadvantages as well as to differentiate intelligent technologies from those that are not, and the ethical and legal issues specific to Canadian law surrounding the use of computing technologies in health management. As a case study we will talk in this chapter about the newest technology we are working on, DRAsTIK (Disease Risk Assessment Temporal Intelligent Knowledge-based System) a mobile and web-based intelligent system for prevention and risk assessment of conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes on high-risk populations, such as Canadian aboriginal populations, as well as compare this to current tools available.