88
A. Mantzavinou et al.
MIT Hacking Medicine first partnered with the Consortium for Affordable Medical Technologies (CAMTech) of the Center for Global Health at the Massachusetts
General Hospital (MGH) in the fall of 2012 to organize a hackathon focused on affordable medical technology for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Since then,
MIT Hacking Medicine’s annual flagship event has featured a global health track
in collaboration with CAMTech whose participants include students and healthcare professionals from India and Uganda. The Hacking Medicine team has in turn
joined CAMTech-led hackathons in India and Uganda. Engagement of the local community in the process of healthcare disruption has led to multiple award-winning
projects for better monitoring, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. Many
of these solutions are translated from bench to bedside at remarkable rates aided
by the CAMTech Innovation Platform and follow-up strategies that promote and
track project development and progress. Sustainable business strategies for product commercialization and reverse innovation to bring cost-effective technologies
to resource-rich settings are highly encouraged. The hacking philosophy applied to
affordable healthcare, engagement of the local community engagement, and support of novel ideas toward long-term sustainability hold great promise for creating
low-cost medical solutions that can improve healthcare outcomes globally.
8.2 Objectives and Methodology
8.2.1 The Need for Co-creation
Both developed and developing economies are under pressure to provide more costeffective healthcare to address the demands of their populations (Chilukuri et al.
2010; Witty 2011). Medical technology companies are rethinking their approach to
medical product design to increase product efficiency and accessibility (Prahalad and
Ramaswamy 2004; Witty 2011). This is particularly true in resource-limited areas,
where political, financial, and cultural constraints often hamper innovation and stakeholder collaboration necessary for collective healthcare transformation (Chilukuri
et al. 2010; Sachs 2003; Mauser et al. 2013).
8.2.2 The Need for Health Hackathons: MIT Hacking
Medicine and the Hackathon Model
Locally driven medical transformation in LMICs requires crosstalk between the main
players of the healthcare ecosystem. These players need to overcome communication
and collaboration barriers, see beyond their discipline and approach a problem using
a nontraditional way. This allows them to generate effective and efficient healthcare
solutions. Health hackathons promise to offer precisely the opportunity to do so.
A. Mantzavinou et al.
MIT Hacking Medicine first partnered with the Consortium for Affordable Medical Technologies (CAMTech) of the Center for Global Health at the Massachusetts
General Hospital (MGH) in the fall of 2012 to organize a hackathon focused on affordable medical technology for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Since then,
MIT Hacking Medicine’s annual flagship event has featured a global health track
in collaboration with CAMTech whose participants include students and healthcare professionals from India and Uganda. The Hacking Medicine team has in turn
joined CAMTech-led hackathons in India and Uganda. Engagement of the local community in the process of healthcare disruption has led to multiple award-winning
projects for better monitoring, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. Many
of these solutions are translated from bench to bedside at remarkable rates aided
by the CAMTech Innovation Platform and follow-up strategies that promote and
track project development and progress. Sustainable business strategies for product commercialization and reverse innovation to bring cost-effective technologies
to resource-rich settings are highly encouraged. The hacking philosophy applied to
affordable healthcare, engagement of the local community engagement, and support of novel ideas toward long-term sustainability hold great promise for creating
low-cost medical solutions that can improve healthcare outcomes globally.
8.2 Objectives and Methodology
8.2.1 The Need for Co-creation
Both developed and developing economies are under pressure to provide more costeffective healthcare to address the demands of their populations (Chilukuri et al.
2010; Witty 2011). Medical technology companies are rethinking their approach to
medical product design to increase product efficiency and accessibility (Prahalad and
Ramaswamy 2004; Witty 2011). This is particularly true in resource-limited areas,
where political, financial, and cultural constraints often hamper innovation and stakeholder collaboration necessary for collective healthcare transformation (Chilukuri
et al. 2010; Sachs 2003; Mauser et al. 2013).
8.2.2 The Need for Health Hackathons: MIT Hacking
Medicine and the Hackathon Model
Locally driven medical transformation in LMICs requires crosstalk between the main
players of the healthcare ecosystem. These players need to overcome communication
and collaboration barriers, see beyond their discipline and approach a problem using
a nontraditional way. This allows them to generate effective and efficient healthcare
solutions. Health hackathons promise to offer precisely the opportunity to do so.