The Caregivers Video Challenge: How You Use Information Technology to Help Manage Healthcare

Challenge.gov: Where the Public can Engage in a Platform for Innovative Solutions to Some of the Most Challenging Issues in Healthcare

In relation to rare disease, no matter how driven you are by your individual disease objectives, there is always opportunity for increasing awareness centered around healthcare initiatives.  In particular, health information technology has become increasingly significant in raising awareness for rare disease, but also allowing the public to engage in a communication platform that highlights the need for improved quality and affordable health care as well as the need for further systematic approaches to managing individuals with chronic health issues.

And with the increasing onset of IT use within healthcare, the need for input from the public, and in particular the rare disease community, is crucial.  Fortunately, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) offers an outlet for the public to engage in a platform to help drive innovative solutions to the challenges we face.

Administered by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Challenge.gov is an online platform which encourages the public to engage with the U.S. Government to bring forth ideas through challenges and contests, with the intent to find solutions to those problems.

How does Challenge.gov work?

Once a government agency posts a challenge to the Challenge.gov website, the public has the opportunity to propose submissions for the challenges with recommendations and support.  An example of this process is in the following challenge:

The Caregivers Video Challenge is an opportunity for members of the public to create short (less than 2 min) videos sharing how they use health IT and eHealth tools to help manage care for a loved one. Cash prizes are available to winning videos.

ONC’s Family Caregivers Video Challenge invites you to create videos sharing how you use health IT to help manage healthcare for a loved one for a chance to win more than $8,000 in prizes!

Your video could highlight caring for a child, a spouse or partner, or an elderly parent, relative or friend. Videos must share your caregiving story and demonstrate how eHealth tools are used to help manage healthcare for a loved one.

Not sure how to begin or what to talk about in your video? Here are a few of topics to consider:

• Using a web site to help choose a doctor
• Maintaining a personal health record online with up to date information on immunizations, medications and other important health information
• Joining an online community to talk to other family caregivers and get emotional support and tips
• Using an app to manage medication lists and make sure the information is available when it’s needed
• Using an online tool to manage medical bills
• Using a text messaging service to get reminders about how to keep your baby healthy throughout pregnancy and in its first year of life

Check out the Resources page for more tips, topics, and more!