The 4th annual Digital Health Hackathon took place on 5-6 December. In total, 6 teams were formed on day 1 who were challenged to work on various digital health solutions, ranging from voice recognition apps to new methods for distributing pharmaceuticals.
The winning team KidSmile was chosen by an expert jury who liked the idea of an app that can guide parents in monitoring their child’s early development. One of the founding members of KidSmile and a physiotherapist at the North Estonia Rehabilitation Center Anneli Lebert described her experience: “The hackathon was a brilliant challenge. We had only 48 hours to use all our prior knowledge and experience to come up with a digital solution to an existing health care problem.” Lebert mentioned that having inspirational speakers and professional coaching gave the event additional value. The teams received plenty of constructive feedback and were encouraged to think outside the box.
According to the Estonian Connected Health Cluster manager Piret Hirv, the hackathon proved that the future of healthcare is bright. The Connected Health Cluster is the largest health tech community in Estonia and is happy to provide support for various digital health start-ups in Estonia, including ideas coming out of the hackathon. “The winners KidSmile received the prize of becoming the official member of the Connected Health cluster. They will now continue with their idea and get thorough coaching from various digital health experts. KidSmile will also get the opportunity to present their idea at an international conference”, said Hirv.
Other collaboration partners like NOVE law firm gave out special prizes, such as free medical law counselling to Brimedy whose idea is to sell essential pharmaceuticals in vending machines. Another special prize went to voice recognition app HealthVoice who received 500€ and the opportunity to pilot their idea at the Ülemiste City.
All hackathon participants received various guidance from healthcare and technology experts, among whom were specialists from TalTech Health Care Technology program as well as mentors from organisations such as the Estonian Health Insurance Fund, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Estonian Connected Health Cluster, Ülemiste City, NOVE law firm, Helmes, the Estonian Health Economy Association, Viveo Health and Fundwise.
Health Care Technology (MSc) is an international master’s program that provides expert knowledge on healthcare innovation and change management. The program combines various aspects related to healthcare organization and digitization, while giving students the freedom, opportunities and contacts needed to prepare for their career. Our graduates have built up several start-ups in Estonia, including Dermtest, Medikeep, Diagnostic Match and Recovery Companion.