We are launching the 1st Digital Health Innovation Challenge calling all our members to develop innovative digital solutions to address various healthcare challenges!
If we want to take an active role in shaping the future, we have to start now. We call medical students worldwide: Showcase your creativity, knowledge, and skills! Develop innovative digital health solutions and help improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. Winning projects will receive a monetary grant to support the implementation of their projects!
Background
In recent years, digital health innovation has had a significant impact on the healthcare industry worldwide. Digital Health Innovation refers to the utilization of digital technologies for improving healthcare delivery, patient outcomes, and research. It is fundamental to increase the availability and accessibility of health services, contributing to the fulfillment of universal health coverage and the third Sustainable Development Goal of good health and well-being. In 2021, the WHO released its Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025, intending to strengthen health systems through the application of digital health interventions, empower patients and achieve health for all. As essential building blocks of health systems, the health workforce, and so IFMSA and medical students worldwide play an important role in encouraging digital health innovation in our health and care systems.
Aims and Objective
This innovation challenge aims to foster IFMSA members to develop innovative digital solutions to address various healthcare challenges and emphasize the leadership of medical students and the workforce in the digital transformation of health systems. It
further aims to establish a network among IFMSA members interested in and working on digital health, let them exchange knowledge, brainstorm and develop ideas and plans togetherand set the foundation for a digital health movement and community of interest within IFMSA.
Instructions for submissions
- Call for submissions:
- Participants are invited to form teams of 3-5 members and develop a digital health innovation idea. Innovations can and are encouraged to tackle several different areas related to digital health, from service delivery to education and health governance.
- Members of the team will have to select a team coordinator, who will serve as the contact person with the challenge coordinators.
- The teams then must submit their project proposals through the following submissions form by the 24th of May, 23:00 GMT. , where they can briefly describe their digital health solutions.
- The evaluation criteria may include innovation, feasibility, the potential impact on healthcare and the potential to reduce inequities in health outcomes.
- Only one submission will be accepted per team or per primary contact member. Multiple submissions from the same team will be disqualified.
- A total of up to 8 projects (teams) will be selected to go through a mentorship program and the innovation sprint.
- Mentorship: Each team will be assigned to an IFMSA alumnus/International Team member, who will serve as the team’s mentor. The mentors and a panel of reviewers will review and evaluate the accepted proposals. The teams will receive advice and feedback to develop their projects further. Teams will also receive capacity development sessions to help them in the development of their projects.
- Innovation Sprint: The teams have to finalize their projects based on feedback and input. The teams will then have to create a 2-minute presentation to pitch their idea to a panel of expert judges. The judges will have the floor to ask questions to the teams. In the end, the panel of judges will deliberate to decide the winning team of the innovation challenge.
- Winning projects will receive a monetary grant to support the implementation of their projects!
- Questions to help you when developing the innovations:
- What problem do you want to solve? What kind of problem is it (technical, political, etc)?
- Are digital interventions the right solution?
- Who are the potential users? Who might they not be suitable for?
- Who will be involved in designing and testing the solution?
- How will you avoid inequities, discrimination, etc?
- What barriers might prevent the solution from being adopted or scaled up?
- How will the solution help or hinder the current workforce? What would they need/need to know to be able to effectively incorporate the solution into their work?
For further details
Contact [email protected]
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