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over 1 year ago

FAQs & Tips: Key Insights for a Winning Submission

Hey Hackers,

We hope you’re all enjoying the hackathon so far! We’ve seen a surge of new registrations and lively discussions on Discord. In response to the most common questions we’ve received, we wanted to share some important updates and clarifications.

1. Reaching Out to the Darena Solutions Team

Please remember that you can reach out to any Darena Solutions team member directly on Discord if you have questions you’re not comfortable asking publicly or if you’d like to brainstorm your ideas. Some of you have already done this, and we appreciate the engagement! Please note that none of the Darena Solutions team members are on the judging panel. We’re here to support and guide you, but we don’t influence the judges’ decisions :).

 

2. Submitting your entries

Many of you have already submitted entries with accompanying videos. It’s highly recommended that your video clearly demonstrates how your application integrates with MeldRx. Since the goal of this competition is to leverage open standards and show how apps can work with systems like EHRs, demonstrating that integration helps the judges understand how your solution fits into healthcare workflows.

Additionally, remember to complete the source attributes for your application. While it’s acceptable to mark some attributes as N/A, they must all be addressed for your submission to be eligible.

 

3. Vive User Choice Award

If you want to be considered for the Vive User Choice Award, please submit your entry by February 15th. Our team will review the submissions, and selected apps will be showcased during demos at the Vive booth. The apps will then be ranked by popularity, but the final results won’t be announced until the end of the competition. Keep in mind:

  • Each app can only win one prize.
  • If the “Best of Vive” app also secures one of the top three overall prizes, the next-ranked Vive app will receive the Vive User Choice Award.

 

4. Multiple Project Submissions

You are allowed to submit multiple projects, either on your own or with different teams. Each project is eligible for only one prize, but there’s no limit to the number of projects you can submit—just be sure all submissions meet the requirements.

 

5. Additional Marketing Opportunities

In addition to potentially being showcased at Vive, there are two other ways to market your app:

Feedback via LinkedIn

If you have an app idea and want feedback, let us know! We can share your concept across our LinkedIn network. One participant already took this route and found it helpful in refining their idea.

Healthcare IT Today Marketing Prize

We recently announced a new prize from Healthcare IT Today, which includes a comprehensive marketing package to promote your app. Check the portal or contact us directly for more information.

 

6. Clarifying Project Maturity Expectations

Our main goal is to help you gain exposure and valuable feedback on your Predictive AI app ideas. We and the judges understand that many submissions will be in a proof-of-concept phase. It’s perfectly acceptable if:

  • Your models aren’t trained on extensive real-world data.
  • You use third-party models or LLMs (as long as they fit your use case). You will need to convert the responses to structured data if you are using CDS hooks. You can also use EHR Launch if you don't want to do that. 

 

7. Clarification on the Term “App”

In many contexts, “app” implies a mobile or web-based program. However, in the context of this competition, an “app” can also be a behind-the-scenes service delivering predictive insights via APIs (e.g., CDS Hooks), embedded algorithms in EHR systems, or more traditional software. If you’re unsure whether your project fits, please reach out, and we’ll be happy to help.

 

8. Demo Data

You do not have to use any specific data to demonstrate your solution. Feel free to use the sample dataset we’ve provided on Discord or upload your data to your MeldRx workspace, which showcases your app’s features best.

 

9. MeldRx Platform Update

Finally, we wanted to let you know about a recent update to the MeldRx platform: MeldRx now supports rendering of Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) Model Cards. These model cards convert b11 source attributes into a standardized format, making it easier for healthcare organizations to review AI models. While you’re not required to complete a model card for the competition, you’re welcome to do so if you want to provide more detail about your solution. We’ll share more information on this in the coming weeks.

 

We can’t wait to see all your innovative ideas come to life. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out on Discord or contact us directly. Let’s keep the momentum going and make this hackathon a resounding success!

 

Good luck, and happy hacking!

Questions?

If you have any questions about the hackathon, please post on the discussion forum.