Building regional health ecosystem capacity: Post-hackathon learning circles to support early co-design of social isolation solutions for older adults.

aw_hh_poster_tc.pdf2.85 MB

Abstract:

Background: The Waterloo and Ottawa regions have been successful in creating competitive ecosystems for ICT innovation and entrepreneurship. Health hackathons bring clinicians, researchers, industry and stakeholders together to create innovative solutions to persistent problems in the health and social care system.

Objectives: We explore learning circles as a post-hackathon mechanism to improve the development of health technology solutions through early exposure to domain experts.

Method: The study leveraged the “technology, social isolation and aging” True North 2019 conference pitch competition. Four winning teams from KW and Ottawa regional hackathons participated in a co-design event at Communitech with 60 mentors from government, research, industry, community leaders and older adult communities. Transcripts of 12 semi-structured interviews conducted with pitch team members, and field notes, were analysed using NVivo 11.

Conclusion: Post-hackathon learning circles may be effective in both the ideation and product/market validation stages of the start-up health ecosystem.

Notes:

Last updated on 10/18/2019