ONC and NCI Partner to Launch Exciting New Challenge

Health 2.0, in conjunction with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), is excited to launch a new innovation competition sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI): “Using Public Data for Cancer Prevention and Control: From Innovation to Impact.”

This highly innovative effort is presented as part of the ONC’s Investing in Innovations (“i2″) Initiative, and is being managed by Health 2.0 through the Health 2.0 Developer Challenge program. Teams are asked to develop an application that has the potential to integrate with existing health information technology platforms and addresses targets at one or more points on the cancer control continuum, using public data that are relevant to cancer prevention and control.

Teams are required to address challenges faced by consumers, clinicians, or researchers on the continuum of cancer control. Suggested targets include promoting healthy behaviors (e.g., nutrition, physical activity, smoking cessation), early detection and screening, informed decision-making, and adherence to treatment plans.

This is a two-phase challenge. Submissions for Phase I are due August 26, 2011, and will be judged on their use of cancer-related data, as well as potential for impact, innovation, and usability. Finalists from Phase I will receive a $10,000 award at a major health IT conference in September 2011. In Phase II, up to two winning teams from the slate of finalists will each receive a $20,000 award at an international system sciences conference in January 2012.