Winners of HHS Design-a-thon to Develop Innovative Digital Health Tools for COVID-19 At-Anywhere Diagnostic Tests Announced

Prizes went to best software and digital tools directly integrated with COVID-19 tests to automate and expedite data reporting.

Sixteen winning designs (listed below) selected from the HHS COVID-19 At-Anywhere Diagnostics Design-a-thon aim to increase speed, quality, comprehensiveness, and utility of SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic test data. This effort will help maintain visibility and increase reporting accuracy on SARS-CoV-2 infection rates across the country. Another contest objective is to ensure that all SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tools can securely transmit test results to local and national public health authorities, as well as health care providers and patients, ensuring a timely public health response.

The COVID-19 At-Anywhere Diagnostics Design-a-thon, led by the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), and the HHS Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), attracted 700 participants over a 10-day technology innovation sprint. Thirty-one teams submitted final capstone projects for judging. All submitted final capstone projects are publicly viewable here.

"The Design-a-thon harnessed the power of American ingenuity to ensure we have accurate, user-friendly reporting of COVID-19 testing results, especially those from rapid, easy to use tests," said Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brett P. Giroir, MD. "The development of new technology for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing greatly enhances our capabilities, but also introduces new challenges for the public health response. More FDA-authorized rapid diagnostics, such as point-of-care, over-the-counter, and at-home tests, are increasingly being utilized but often lack an easy way for users, such as schools, nursing homes, or businesses, to report results. This effort will address this gap."

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