Tough problems sought for data-analytics contest

There are $300,000 in prizes up for grabs in a new, two-year healthcare data-analytics contest, but first, the sponsors of the competition want healthcare providers and others to identify their knottiest data difficulties so future contestants will have some meaningful problems to solve.

“Today, we call on the entire healthcare community—particularly those serving on the front lines in providing care—to submit the most difficult data challenges facing their organizations as they implement new models of care,” said Dr. Richard Merkin, president and CEO of contest co-sponsor Heritage Provider Network (PDF), in a news release announcing the contest. “Over the next two years, this contest will inspire innovative solutions for healthcare organizations as they learn how to leverage large data, particularly clinical data sets, for reform efforts.”

The Marina del Rey, Calif.-based independent practice association, along with the Advisory Board, a healthcare consultancy, and the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington-based policy advocacy organization, are co-sponsors of what's being dubbed as the Care Transformation Prize Series.

The Bipartisan Policy Center was founded in 2007 by four former U.S. Senate majority leaders, Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole and George Mitchell.

Merkin will join a host of healthcare IT heavyweights on a prize board that will pick the targets for developers and award at least three $100,000 prizes to the teams that develop the best solutions to the selected challenges, the statement said. “The winning algorithms will then be made available to the healthcare organizations and the public.”

The first problem to be solved will be announced in September, with the winning solution and $100,000 prize awarded in January 2014 along with the announcement of the second problem. The winner of the second, $100,000 prize will be awarded in May of 2014 along with announcement of the third problem. Its solution and $100,000 prize winner will be announced in September 2014.

Earlier this month, the Health Provider Network announced the closing of submissions for new entrants to its two-year, software development competition, the Heritage Health Prize. That contest seeks to catalyze development of “a breakthrough algorithm that uses available patient data to predict and prevent unnecessary hospitalizations.” Its $3 million top prize, to be awarded at the fourth annual Health Datapalooza, June 3-4 in Washington.

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