This challenge is about not hacking. It is about proving that your idea will work in exchange for access to Harvard’s network. The Health Acceleration Challenge got 478 applications for a chance at that prize offered by the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Medical School. The Open Forum on Health Care Innovation is a collaboration between the two schools. It is no lightweight competition. The judges want to see credible information from existing sites, pilots or customers that an idea works, a scale-up plan, a list of partners, common barriers to adoption and a timeline.
Finalists will have a Harvard Business School case study written about their organizations in early 2015. The case study will be discussed at the Forum on Health Care Innovation conference in April 2015. Finalists also will have the opportunity to meet with potential customers, investors and partners at the conference. Financial prizes go up to $150,000.
People from all over the world submitted ideas. The proposals range from intensely academic to community-centered and are designed from everyone in the healthcare systems from doctors and nurses to patients and caregivers. There is even a proposal to promote telemedicine in schools from Dr. Steve North, who spoke at ENGAGE. Here are a few of the ideas whose originality or uniqueness helped them stand out from the big list of 478 proposals.
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
Mammosphere: A Cloud-Based Approach to Improving Breast Cancer Screening while Reducing Healthcare Costs
Mammosphere is a non-profit in Jacksonville, FL. It provides immediate access of prior mammograms through its Mammography Image Exchange Network that is based in the cloud. Mammosphere is that it solves an essential problem, generates tremendous savings to payers, and increases throughput and revenues to providers. Proven radiology research shows that access to prior mammograms reduces false-positives 50-60% and leads to earlier detection of breast cancer.
Wireless video laryngoscope
Izziscope is a low-cost, high-quality wireless video laryngoscope that will help distribution on an operator level. It is a product of collaboration between an anesthesiologist and biomedical engineer. Izziscope will provide intelligent, high tech, low cost airway management tools to the entire user base, thereby saving lives and increasing quality of care and response time. Izziscope is streaming HD video using advanced technology to any device in it’s range allowing advanced functionality in low cost.
The Coordinated Care Center: An Ambulatory ICU for Complex Patients
Hennepin County Medical Center’s Coordinated Care Center is an “ambulatory ICU” for the most complex patients who have histories of frequent hospitalizations and whose volatile health conditions require continuous care. The clinic is a patient-centered medical home staffed by multidisciplinary teams that provide comprehensive primary care, behavioral health services, medication therapy management, and assistance addressing social needs. After analysis to evaluate and adjust for regression to the mean and selection bias, the results showed that the CCC’s model decreased inpatient utilization by 37 percent and Emergency Department utilization by 32 percent in the year pre and post enrollment in the CCC. Over the course of one year, total charges for medical care for CCC patients dropped by 23 percent—an average savings of $24,170 per patient.
A Personalized Approach to Medication Nonadherence
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
Carer Empowerment Through Care Companion Training Program
The aim of this program is to empower caregivers of at-risk patients from adult surgical in-patients with the skills they need to take better care of their patients at home, post-discharge. Family members are often clueless about how to take care of their loved one recuperating at home. The result is poor patient care at home and subsequently increased chances of hospital readmissions. CCP re-envisions the role of a patient’s family member as a valuable resource inside hospital and in the patient’s recovery process. Narayana Health is in Bangalore, India.
Bullseye Dropper
This new patent-pending eyedropper delivers a single eye drop at a time easily and with pinpoint accuracy. If glaucoma patients used the Bullseye dropper instead of today’s conventional dropper, an estimated annual savings would surpass 41 million dollars. Our dropper cuts costs affecting insurance companies, Medicare, drug companies, pharmacies, states and patients. The dropper also could help people who have had cataract surgery or have dry eye syndrome
The Bullseye dropper is the bottle and holds the medicine.
Kermit – the industry’s first intelligent bill sheet
This Maryland company is building a patent-pending technology that automates the audit of vendor invoices from each surgical procedure and checks for pricing and contract compliance. Kermit eliminates the significant paperwork and HIPAA risk exposure by storing all files electronically. A rules engine can be configured with the most intricate of rules designed to ensure each submitted bill sheet is in compliance with contracts prior to the hospital issuing payment.
Applications for the Health Acceleration Challenge closed on Sept. 29. The Advise period ends Sunday, October 19. The Refine phase is next and finalists will be announced November 17, 2014. Even if you missed the submission window or don’t have an idea, you can participate. You can comment on and applaud ideas. The most active community members have a chance to win tickets to the 2015 conference.
