ONC, Surgeon General invite public to design apps for healthy living

The Office of the Surgeon General (OSG) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) are asking the U.S. public for help promoting their vision of being healthy and fit. Developers have been challenged to design mobile applications that provide users with customizable tools to engage in healthy behavior.

To illustrate the power that technology has to encourage healthy behavior, the OSG and ONC are asking developers to submit apps that encourage physical fitness, healthy eating and integrative health. The deadline for submission is Dec. 31. The creator of the top app in each of those three categories will receive an award from the OSG and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The challenge’s judges have not been selected yet, but apps will be judged by the following criteria: usefulness, innovativeness, evidence-based, usability, potential impact, data downloads and fun factor.

Submissions must include a description, instructions and technical specifications. Winners will be announced Jan. 31, 2012.

For more information on and the complete rules of the OSG and ONC challenge, go here.

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