On February 23 and 24, The U.S. Division of Well being and Human Companies participated within the 2023 Well being Datapalooza. First held in 2010, it has been the grow to be the gathering place for folks and organizations creating information from information and pioneering improvements that inform well being coverage and follow. HHS has a robust historical past of participation within the Well being Datapalooza and continued that custom this 12 months.

The convention started with a keynote by the Meals and Drug Administration Commissioner, Robert Califf, M.D., MACC; In Proof Era, Proof Consumption, and Fact, Dr. Califf mentioned points blocking progress to raised well being outcomes, together with gaps between tech advances and proof. He described producing high-quality proof as important, however proposed processes and strategies that handle proof consumption. These processes mirror the brand new methods folks devour proof, from social media to synthetic intelligence instruments. Dr. Califf proposed that these new processes may also help the federal government implement more practical well being interventions, main to raised well being outcomes for the general public.

Micky Tripathi, Ph.D., M.P.P., Nationwide Coordinator for the Workplace of the Well being Data Expertise, gave a keynote on Delivering on the Promise of Well being Data Expertise centering on ONC-led efforts and provisions of the twenty first Century Cures Act. Because the Cures Act was handed by Congress in 2016, the healthcare and well being IT industries have made progress in transitioning from pen and paper well being information to utilizing digital well being data and digital well being document expertise. Dr. Tripathi’s keynote offered a glance into the way forward for well being IT, together with enhancing data sharing through the knowledge blocking laws, utility programming interface (API) standardization, and the Trusted Alternate Framework and Frequent Settlement (TEFCA).  

Keynotes continued with Superior Analysis Tasks Company for Well being (ARPA-H) Director, Renee Wegrzyn, Ph.D. who launched the newly shaped company. With the main target areas of well being science futures, scalable options, proactive well being, and resilient techniques, ARPA-H’s mission is to speed up higher well being outcomes for everybody by supporting the event of high-impact options to society’s most difficult well being issues.

In a plenary session, Innovation Of the Individuals, By the Individuals, For the Individuals, Kristen  Honey, Ph.D., PMP, Chief Information Scientist and Govt Director of InnovationX within the Workplace of the Assistant Secretary for Well being (OASH), and Stephen Konya, Senior Advisor to the Deputy Nationwide Coordinator, ONC, highlighted a number of cross-cutting initiatives, together with:

• CancerX, introduced by the White Home as a part of the Most cancers Moonshot.
• PandemicX, which incubated 15 groups of entrepreneurs with concentrate on well being fairness.
• 2023 Well being Fairness DataJam, a problem to remodel open information into instruments and insights for impression, launched on the Well being Datapalooza.
• 2023 Federal Well being Innovation Days, which HHS will reignite to open authorities doorways to startups and entrepreneurs in expertise hubs throughout the nation in 2023, to demystify the paperwork, processes, and healthcare associated priorities of the Federal authorities.

On Thursday, February 23, OASH led a panel on Remodeling Information to Perception to Motion with HHS and U.S. Digital Corps Designers exploring how HHS makes use of information modernization, human-centered design, and open innovation to drive information and progress on Lengthy COVID, Lyme and tickborne illness, and different infection-associated persistent sicknesses.

Panels continued into Friday, February 24, with Considering Outdoors of the “Bubble” – Advantages of Assembly Innovators The place They Are, a panel that included audio system from federal healthcare businesses working with startups and different innovators from across the nation to resolve healthcare issues. The Workplace of the Chief Synthetic Intelligence Officer (OCAIO) led a panel on Federal Well being Accountable and Reliable AI: From Rules to Observe exploring how AI impacts the general public and the way authorities is working to advertise accountable use of AI. The Workplace of the Chief Information Officer’s panel on HHS Information Technique in Motion convened information leaders throughout the Division for dialog on cross-agency information initiatives.

Pitch Tent classes had been new this 12 months to the Well being Datapalooza. Many HHS representatives gave these lightning-style displays, on matters together with LymeX: Exponential Innovation in Lyme Illness Diagnostics, CancerX: Driving Digital Options with Companions for Most cancers Affected person Care, KidneyX: Enhancing Lives with Synthetic Kidney Innovation, PandemicX: Information-Pushed Options to Nationwide Public-Well being Challenges, and Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Information Initiatives.

To remain concerned with HHS’ ongoing data-driven innovation, be a part of the 2023 Well being Fairness DataJam, a problem for the general public to remodel open information into instruments and insights for impression. Learn extra in regards to the DataJam on HealthData.gov.