Alberta authorities discontinue employer of My Recovery Plan app within the jurisdiction
The Alberta government has announced its decision to decommission the My Recovery Plan app, a health record software system designed for addiction treatment and recovery, starting in 2026. The move comes amidst growing concerns about privacy, data management, and transparency, as well as doubts about the app's effectiveness.
The My Recovery Plan app, launched in 2021, was developed by Vista, a social organisation focused on harm reduction and mental health recovery. However, questions have been raised about the information already gathered by the app, who owns it, and how it is being protected.
Euan Thompson, a harm reduction advocate, and Petra Schulz, co-founder of Moms Stop the Harm, have expressed their concerns about the app. Thompson is particularly worried about the province's track record in managing recovery data, referencing the Digital Overdose Response System, which took years to share basic data and whose performance was not promising. Schulz notes that sharing such personal information about substance use could scare people and potentially deter them from seeking help.
The My Recovery Plan app was free to use and clients could register through any publicly-funded residential addiction service provider. It monitored the outcomes of programs and organisations offering recovery services, collecting personal health data of people in recovery to track individual progress. However, harm reduction advocates argue that the app serves as a barrier for those trying to access recovery services.
The app's developer, Vista, is a German-based organisation led by Nina Pritszens, the managing director of Vista ggmbH Berlin. The app was initially developed by BC-based Last Door Recovery Society. The sole-sourced contract for the app was worth $2 million.
Google and other companies have notified Schulz about data breaches, leading to concerns about the security of the My Recovery Plan app. The province stated that they heard the app didn't fit all the needs of people using it.
As the Alberta recovery model grows and expands, necessitating the evolution of the data systems used to support it, the government has decided to move data management to a government-developed system. Thompson expresses concern that the change may not lead to transparency around recovery outcomes for many years.
The end of the My Recovery Plan app marks a significant shift in the recovery model in Alberta, and the government is yet to announce the details of the new system that will replace it.
