Accenture encourages developing technology through HealthTech Innovation Challenge

Accenture has launched the Accenture HealthTech Innovation Challenge to encourage technology startups to tackle big issues in healthcare.

With topics that include improving access, security, affordability and improving patient care the challenge brings together startups from around the world into a competition to create innovative solutions that both patients and clinicians can utilize. Finalists in the competition will be able to present their ideas to top executives from both the healthcare and science industries.

The challenge includes four categories where the startups can focus attention:

• Help me have easier access to healthcare: This category has startups focusing on how to better reach populations where access to healthcare is limited and how they can be reached. 
• Help me get better faster: Startups will develop new ways to give services at a faster rate while also improving patient outcomes.
• Help me better manage my health: The goal is increasing engagement with patients.  
• Help keep my information private and secure: Innovations in this category must be able to improve how security of patient data is handled while also increasing data sharing in a safe setting.  

“This program aims to help healthcare startups advance their business agenda and infuse fresh ideas across the system to improve patient care,” said Brian Kalis, managing director of digital health at Accenture. “We forecast that start-up funding for digital healthcare, such as wearables and virtual health, will reach $6.5 billion by the end of next year. This growth continues to be fueled by open innovation between startups and a broad spectrum of stakeholders with the same shared goal of advancing healthcare.”