The MedTech Sprint Hackathon will be a dynamic two-day event where students, startups, healthcare innovators, and professionals from all fields come together to address real-life healthcare challenges. Organized by Rīga Stradiņš University, STADA Latvia, and EIT Health RIS Hub in Latvia, this hackathon will offer a unique opportunity to collaborate, innovate, and compete for exciting prizes while contributing to better healthcare outcomes.
This event will be a chance to tackle pressing issues such as educating patients on biological therapy, lessening the work amount for medical personnel, increasing patient motivation and adherence to treatment, and elevating the overall recovery experience. Participants of all educational or practical fields are invited, as diverse backgrounds and expertise often lead to the most innovative solutions. Over the course of 25th and 26th March, the hackathon will include idea workshops, mentorship sessions, pitching skill development, and team-building activities.
As an idea hackathon event, the focus will be on developing innovative concepts rather than technical implementation. Teams will pitch their solutions to a professional jury, competing for a grand prize of 700 EUR for the first place and 300 EUR for the runner up's, and other awards. All participants will receive a diploma to recognize their contribution and add to their CVs. This event will be a chance to learn, network, and make a meaningful impact on healthcare – an opportunity not to be missed!
- Challenges
STADA Latvia Challenge:
- Educating Patients on Biological Therapy.
Biological medicines are prescribed to patients who require thorough preparation for both medical consultations and the initiation of therapy. However, on the path to optimal treatment, patients may encounter various situations, including remission, symptom recurrence, or flare-ups, as well as comorbidities requiring additional consultations. In Latvia, patient education is particularly challenging, as it is traditionally provided by specialized nurses. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of nurses specializing in the initiation and continuation of biological therapy. It is crucial for patients to understand how to handle everyday situations, such as visiting a dentist, planning for family expansion, preparing for surgery, and reporting side effects.
Rīga Stradiņš University Challenge:
- Increasing Patient Motivation and Adherence to Treatment
Many patients fail to take prescribed medications regularly, do not follow doctors’ recommendations, and skip routine health check-ups, which negatively impact treatment outcomes and can lead to worsening conditions. One of the biggest challenges is finding effective ways to boost patient motivation and adherence to treatment. There is a need for solutions that encourage greater patient engagement in their healthcare, utilizing interactive applications, gamification techniques, personalized reminders, or other innovations that help patients manage their health more effectively.
- Educating Patients on Biological Therapy.
- Key Information
Why Participate?
- Gain hands-on experience in MedTech innovation and problem-solving and create a business idea.
- Collaborate with diverse professionals and students to create impactful solutions.
- Learn from experts through workshops and mentoring, and receive feedback from a distinguished jury.
- Network with industry leaders, healthcare professionals, and like-minded innovators.
- Contribute to the development of cutting-edge solutions that could transform healthcare.
Eligibility and Participation
- The hackathon is open to anyone aged 16 and above, regardless of their academic background, professional experience, or skill level.
- Participants can include students, start-up representatives, healthcare professionals, and anyone passionate about MedTech innovation.
- You can apply individually or as part of a pre-formed team. Teams must consist of a maximum of 5 members.
- Individual participants will be grouped into teams during the event to ensure collaboration and diversity of skills.
- Hackathon will be held in English.
Event Structure and Opportunities
- The hackathon will feature several workshops designed to enhance your skills and prepare you for the challenge:
- Idea Creation Workshop: Learn how to brainstorm and develop innovative MedTech solutions.
- Pitch Training: Gain insights into crafting and delivering compelling pitches.
- Team Resource Utilization Workshop: Discover how to maximize your team's strengths and resources effectively.
Idea Development and Evaluation Criteria
- During the hackathon, teams will work on developing their ideas in the initial stages. Ideas will be evaluated based on how innovative, effective, realistic and unique it is.
- A specially selected jury will assess the ideas, including representatives from Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU), STADA Latvia, EIT Health InnoStars, Healthcare professionals and other experts.
Overnight Work Opportunity
- Participants will have the opportunity to continue working on their projects overnight from March 25th to March 26th at the RSU Innovation Centre, located at Vīlipa Street 12, Riga.
- The venue will provide workstations, free Wi-Fi, electric outlets, stationary and other equipment to support your work.
- Please note that no beds will be available, so if you plan to stay overnight, you will need to bring your own sleeping bag or other personal items for comfort.
Photography, Filming, and Personal Data Usage
- As Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) is a public institution, you may be photographed or filmed during the event. Your personal data (images, team titles, names and idea) may be used to further the interests of RSU, such as for marketing, communication activities, or social media coverage.
- If you have any objections to your personal data being processed, you must inform RSU via email at rsu
rsu[pnkts]lv. For more details on your rights and how your data is handled, refer to the RSU Privacy Policy.
- Agenda
25 March 9:00–9:30 Registration and breakfast 9:30–9:45 Opening speech, agenda 9:45–10:15 Introduction Bingo and team creation 10:15–10:30 Inspiration story from startup EsaDres (Estonia) 10:30–10:45 Challenge introduction 10:45–11:00 Presentation "EIT Health: advancing healthcare innovations" 11:00–12:00 Idea Workshop: Methods to Generate a Business Idea 12:00–13:00 Teamwork 13:00–14:00 Lunch 14:00–15:00 Teamwork 15:00-16:45 Work with mentors / mentor walk 16:45-18:00 Teamwork 18:00-19:00 Pitch training 19:00 Dinner 26 March 9:00–9:30 Breakfast 9:30–12:30 Mentor and pitch checkpoints, teamwork 12:30-13:15 Workshop "Maximum Power: Effective Resource Utilization in a Team" by RSU Career support and well-being center 13:15-14:00 Lunch 14:00-16:00 Teamwork / opportunity to consult a mentor 16:00-17:30 Pitch presentations (at RSU Pharmaceutical Education and Research Centre Lobby, 21 Konsula street) 17:30-18:00 Awards ceremony (at RSU Pharmaceutical Education and Research Centre Lobby, 21 Konsula street)
Location
