ONC launches Market R&D Pilot Challenge

To help health IT start-ups demonstrate the value of their solutions to the market, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has launched the Market R&D Pilot Challenge, according to a Health IT Buzz blog post.

Even though the health IT market attracted nearly $700 million in investments so far this year, many start-ups struggle connecting with pilot partners to test their solutions, wrote ONC Public Health Analyst Maya Uppaluru and Management and Program Analyst Adam Wong.

The one-year challenge calls on health innovators to pair with hospitals, clinics laboratories and pharmacies to develop pilot proposals. The challenge will invite six teams to implement the pilot, conduct a rigorous evaluation and disseminate its findings with the help of the ONC, according to the blog.

The first half of the challenge focuses on team creation, selection and pilot preparation while the pilot itself and evaluation will take place during the second six months. ONC will award $25,000 to each team and another $25,000 following completion of the pilot and evaluations—a total $300,000 investment.

In addition to the challenge, ONC officials announced the launch of Health Innovator Bootcamps, which are full-day or half-day training sessions for the start-up sector on federal regulations, programs and funding opportunities.

“At ONC, we understand and value the critical role that start-ups, developers and entrepreneurs play in transforming America’s healthcare system. Helping improve care and health, at lower costs, will depend on the innovative technology solutions developed and tested by the start-up community,” according to the blog.