By Bryan Sivak
Cross-posted from Healthdata.gov
When we started planning the Health Datapalooza this year I asked the planning committee, “How could we make the Health Datapalooza bigger and better? Was there a way for us to do something at the Health Datapalooza this year that would directly contribute to improving health care at the point of clinical care? Was there a way we could help primary care providers make decisions about at risk patients in their practice?
The answer was simple – yes, with a live code-a-thon during the Health Datapalooza that will give ten teams the opportunity to code using the holy grail of health data – Medicare claims data!
I am excited to announce the launch of the Health Datapalooza Code-a-Palooza – a code-a-thon where teams will compete to build an app, tool or product that could be used by primary care providers and/or their office staff to improve the quality of care they deliver towards the total health of their patients. The teams will be competing for $25,000 in sponsored prizes and using Medicare Parts A and B claims data for a 5% sample of Medicare beneficiaries. The data includes inpatient, outpatient, home health, hospice, skilled nursing facility, carrier, and durable medical equipment (DME) claims.
Just as you would expect, the Code-a-Palooza isn’t your typical code-a-thon for typical coders. Teams should have a good understanding of Medicare claims data and what it’s like working in a clinical care setting. When I think of what a successful team looks like, I think of four critical elements:
- First, at least one person on your team has clinical acumen and understands the workings of a primary care practice, including provider workflows and the patient experience.
- Secondly, you should have someone on your team who has killer data analytics skills.
- Third (and most obvious), you should bring the designer and developer skillsets to the table.
- Lastly, your team should bring some of your own data. The idea behind this is that teams will be able to use the 5% Medicare data to define a contextual denominator of costs and services and overlay that on your own data to get patient data resembling a real practice. – The possibilities here are really exciting!
If you think you and your team have what it takes to be part of the first ever Code-a-Palooza, apply here and get your application in by May 4th. If you feel like you have a lot to offer but don’t have a team, go ahead and submit your information to connect with other free-agents to form your team virtually.
Apply to participate in the Code-a-Palooza and be part of the movement that Health Datapalooza IV embodies. Come unleash the power of data and use your creativity and expertise to improve health care.
