Hacking the Digital Health Hackathon

The Computer Science for Social Good Research Group organised a “Hacking the Digital Health” Hackathon on May 12 and May 18 (It was over the course of two days, day one online; day two in-person, at Brunel University London), funded by the 2022-23 seminar series.

The hackathon ran on two days in May:

• 12/5/2023 - Online
• 18/5/2023 – In person at Brunel University London

On the 2nd day of the hackathon, the prototypes developed and future plans for research grant applications was presented to a panel.

The proposed judging criteria were in equal parts- the following technology, impact and presentation. The winning teams had received research seed funding awards:

First prize: £600

Two runner-up prizes: £200

The main aim of the proposed hackathon was to create a platform of collaboration on digital healthcare solutions for ‘Transforming Health and Care Beyond the Hospital’ – one of the key themes set by UKRI.

Smart healthcare is a socio-technical challenge, and therefore, this hackathon aimed to foster collaboration within an interdisciplinary community to enable co-creation in the area of digital health.

The innovation idea developed during the hackathon had aimed to meet one (or more) of the following goals:

• Making better use of data in smart homes for improving digital health technologies
• Reduce differences among social classes in terms of access to digital health technologies
• Improve access to and usability of digital health solutions in older age groups
• Eliminate barriers to access to digital health solutions for disabled or differently-abled people

The hackathon aimed to create a free-thinking and collaborative environment involving 25-30 participants using a mix of online collaboration and communication tools and face-to-face meetings, talks, and panels.

The participants were selected through a collection of expressions of interest with an emphasis on supporting early career researchers. We expected the hackathon to be especially suited to researchers in academia, industry, and the public sector specialising in mobile health, digital health, privacy-enhancing technologies, user interface design, and health policy.

We were looking for researchers who enjoy stepping outside their area of expertise or interest and enjoy creative activities and teamwork.

The hackathon required people to brainstorm with other researchers they may not know. We aimed to chart out some of the challenges in this space and came up with initial ideas for design solutions that underpin future collaborative opportunities.

Whether you’re a technology or design enthusiast, a healthcare specialist, or this is your first hackathon, we hoped people to join and help us make a meaningful impact on healthcare issues.

Find the summary of the event below:

 Hackathon Event Summary

 Click here to watch videos:

(86) Hacking the Digital Health Hackathon Day 1, Panel 1 - YouTube

(86) Hacking the Digital Health Hackathon Day 1, Panel 2 - YouTube