Winners of the Priority Population Digital Health Challenge 2024 announced
A Flinders University team and a National Health Service (NHS) Clinical Entrepreneur were picked as the winners.
As digital health becomes increasingly mainstream, health systems around the world continue to face a stark reality: not everyone benefits equally [source]. Too often, the healthcare needs of marginalised communities are met with one-size-fits-all solutions that overlook their unique genetic, cultural and psychological contexts. What they rightfully deserve is care that prioritises their needs and is tailored to their specific circumstances.
In an effort to make this possible, Cogniss, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and the University of Melbourne collaborated to launch the Priority Population Digital Health Challenge 2024, fostering innovations that prioritise the needs of the most vulnerable. Winners will receive personalised support from the organisers in designing, developing and deploying digital health solutions that serve priority populations.
The Challenge attracted impact-makers from around the world, leading to a virtual pitch session where five finalists presented their concepts to a panel of judges. Two of these ideas were picked as the winners.
One of the winners is Associate Professor Belinda Lange and her team at Flinders University, who are focussed on supporting stroke survivors during the post-rehabilitation phase. “The recovery from stroke can be long and challenging. Much of the focus is on the early stages of recovery but after formal rehabilitation ends, people with ongoing impairments can feel lost and unsure how to move on with their lives,” Belinda explained. Their solution, co-designed with people living with stroke, will support goal-setting and facilitate motivation to support community participation and improve well-being. “We are looking forward to the opportunity to work with Cogniss, the Digital Health Validitron, and AWS to empower people who have had a stroke to take control of their future and improve quality of life,” she added.
The other winner is Ruby Jackson, a National Health Service (NHS) Clinical Entrepreneur from the United Kingdom, who is addressing the disproportionate risks faced by mothers and babies in black and minority ethnic group. “Black women are nearly four times more likely to die in pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum in comparison to white women and Black babies have the highest rate of both stillbirth and neonatal death,” Ruby said. Her envisioned app “Melanatal,” is designed for clinicians and service users within maternity services to bridge critical knowledge gaps, aiding detection and improving diagnosis rates to accelerate treatment uptake. “Winning this challenge is an invaluable opportunity for me to bring Melanatal to life and help move the needle in outcomes and experiences of underrepresented groups,” she added.
Wendy Chapman, Associate Dean of Digital Health and Informatics at the University of Melbourne, said, “Our partnership with Cogniss and AWS will help prepare these digital innovations for implementation in real health settings, which is the goal of the Digital Health Validitron.”
Leon Young, Founding CEO of Cogniss, concluded, “The Challenge has brought to light a number of exceptional ideas that can be developed quickly and easily to make a real difference in people's lives. This is exactly why Cogniss exists - to make digital health accessible, equitable, and effective for the most people and conditions.”
The Priority Population Digital Health Challenge 2024 has highlighted the world of innovative possibilities that can bridge the divide in healthcare equity – one targeted solution at a time.
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About Cogniss
Cogniss is a no-code ecosystem that enables healthcare experts and organisations to create advanced patient-facing digital health apps. No coding or design skills are required. Its unique point-and-click interface empowers innovators to build highly targeted apps, at a fraction of the time and cost required by traditional code-based development.
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