The Rise of the Health Hackathon: 6 Insights from Hackathons Around the World

Photography by Paul Clarke

Aman Bhandari

@GHideas

Matt Hayward

@HCareThoughts

PLEASE CONSULT THE AUTHORS FOR CONTENT USE

https://twitter.com/ghideas

https://twitter.com/HCareThoughts

The health hackathon database

The insights we discovered from the database confirmed our suspicions—Hackathons are a uniquely

powerful mechanism for industry-wide experimentation and collaboration.

In the spirit of cross-sector sharing and cooperation, we bring you this global health hackathon database

so we can learn from one another and encourage new connections among participants and sponsors.

This database is open and free and we hope that you will contribute to this living log of groups working

together to solve real-world problems in healthcare.

We created a living downloadable database

of over 100 health hackathons

CLICK HERE FOR

FULL DATABASE

PLEASE CONSULT THE AUTHORS FOR CONTENT USE @GHideas | @HCareThoughts

http://hackingmedicine.mit.edu/health-hackathon-database/

THE STORY OF HACKATHONS IN HEALTHCARE


Software is eating

the world

My own theory is that we are in the

middle of a dramatic and broad

technological and economic shift in

which software companies are

poised to take over large swathes

of the economy…

Health care and education, in

my view, are next up for

fundamental software-based

transformation

“

” Marc Andreessen

“ ”


Modern medicine has strong

roots in experimentation…

MARIE CURIE

PLEASE CONSULT THE AUTHORS FOR CONTENT USE—@GHideas | @HCareThoughts

However, innovation has largely

taken place behind closed doors @GHideas | @HCareThoughts


Health hackathons have grown exponentially since 2010

1. Wikipedia 2. Bhandari et al.

Worldwide health hackathons2

’00 ’10

1999

The first hackathon was launched in

1999 at Sun Microsystems, where

John Gage challenged attendees to

write a program in Java for the new

Palm V using the infrared port to

communicate with other Palm users

and register it on the Internet1

2010 From our database of over 100

health hackathons

3 7

24

37

60

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

FIRST HACKATHON FIRST HEALTH HACKATHON

There were no forums for collaboration within healthcare,

so we created our own. Borrowing methodology from the

tech world to engage the community and democratize

innovation, the first health hackathon was born out of a

collaboration between Health 2.0 and the government at

Health Data Palooza.

@GHideas | @HCareThoughts


What is a hackathon?

“A hackathon is an event where

people get together and

develop awesome projects in a

short time span”1

A 24-48 hour event where people

gather to solve a specific problem

with like-minded individuals.

1. http://www.digitalhealthdays.se/~/media/files/digitalhealthdays/for-besokare/artiklar/hha-faq-2014.pdf Photography by Paul Clarke



Who attends a health hackathon?

MENTORS DESIGNERS HEALTH

PROFESSIONALS

ENTRE-PRENEURS

PATIENTS DEVELOPERS


@GHideas

@HCareThoughts


Why hackathons?

No matter who you are, most of the

smartest people work for someone else Joy’s Law—Sun Microsystems co-founder Bill Joy

“ ”

Tinker, build, and experiment in a safe zone

Democratization of innovation—anyone, including patients,

can get involved

Platform for collaboration across boundaries and silos

Accelerated, creative problem solving that leads to action

Learn new skills, have fun, build a community


What does the average health hackathon look like? In the data on over 100 health hackathons since 2010, here are

some numbers that emerged.

The average hackathon

displayed the following

Overall


The interest in healthcare is spreading

$1 MILLION GRAND PRIZE WINNER

Salesforce Hackathon 2013

The largest prize amount for

any hackathon was the $1M

Salesforce hack. A team

focused on healthcare won


Health focused hackathons are scaling globally

Main outfits

28 events 27 events 16 events

Other outfits

1. Bhandari et al.

Worldwide health hackathons1


http://www.health2con.com/devchallenge/code-a-thons/

http://www.hackinghealth.ca/

http://hackingmedicine.mit.edu/

Health hackathons span the globe but also the whole healthcare spectrum

1. Bhandari et al.

DIABETES | ASTHMA | PAIN

MANAGEMENT | HEART

DISEASE | MENTAL HEALTH |

OBESTIY | ONCOLOGY

PATIENT PORTALS | PATIENT

ENGAGEMENT | mHEALTH |

ACA IMPLEMENTATION |

WEARABLES | MED DEVICES


Almost every type of stakeholder in healthcare has used a hackathon

Hospitals Tech Pharma

Providers Health IT Academia

Non-Profit

Government

The hackathon model can be adapted to address challenges across

many groups from public to private sector organizations.


Teams have the potential to take their creations beyond the hackathon and

become success stories like , which launched from a hackathon

and has since raised over $4M.1

Hackathons can produce a diversity of solutions, not just apps

The Blu+ app utilizes the Blue Button+ API that can

access personal health records and create a modern

digital dashboard of health records including up-

coming appointments, immunizations, and extensions

to track diet and fitness for the average populace to

be more aware and active in their own health.

Monitor.me is a cellphone case designed to measure a

user’s heartbeat while on the phone. The accompanying

app allows users to view their pulse, compare themselves

against national averages, and monitor themselves for

potential heart problems.

Kinect Burn Area App: Using the off-the-shelf Microsoft

Kinect, the 3D depth sensor feature accurately and

rapidly provides doctors measurements of total body

surface area. The camera feature allows clinicians to

visualize and accurately mark the area of the burn on

screen and automatically calculate the % of body surface

area burnt as well as fluid requirements of the patient.

Kipster integrates hardware and software to help gamify

cystic fibrosis breathing exercises. The iPad application

and accompanying hardware allows children to run

through a series of fun games using their breath to

control characters in the game.

Philly Codefest 2014 Hacking Health Toronto 2013

Health Hack Dublin 2013 Hacking Health Montreal 2012

APP WEARABLE

HARDWARE OTHER

1. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304179704579461284247758424



Sample feeback1

94%

of the participants would

recommend the Hackathon

to friends or colleagues

1. Feedback from the Health Literacy Hackathon 2012 http://mollymcleod.com/gallery/health-literacy-hackathon/

89% would travel for the

Hackathon in the future

89% said judging criteria

was fair

78%

had a clearer understanding

of health literacy after the

Hackathon

61%

said they networked and

made valuable contacts

at the Hackathon

I can’t even begin to count the ways my

brain got stimulated [this weekend].

Working with the tech sector is new to

me, and has recently been something

I’m very excited about.

I really got to see the value in having

multiple perspectives when developing

a product.

It was a great and informative

experience that forced me to think in a

way I never had before.

“

”

“

“

”

”

People love the hackathon model and being challenged to

take action in this format.


In healthcare, in what

other way can you

collaborate brainstorm & build ?

LIST OF HACKATHONS CLICK HERE


Roll up your

sleeves and

get your

hands dirty

HACK DAY MANIFESTO CLICK HERE



https://www.hackerleague.org/hackathons

http://www.health2con.com/devchallenge/code-a-thons/

http://www.hackinghealth.ca/

http://hackingmedicine.mit.edu/

http://hackdaymanifesto.com/

Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In

fact, it is the only thing that ever has.

Margaret Mead

“ ”


http://paulclarke.com | @paul_clarke

CLICK HERE FOR

FULL DATABASE

@GHideas

@HCareThoughts

http://paulclarke.com/

http://paulclarke.com/

http://hackingmedicine.mit.edu/health-hackathon-database/

Healthcare

The Rise of the Health Hackathon: 6 Insights from Hackathons Around the World