Yesterday I had the pleasure of helping out in the first “Health 2.0 Comes to Washington” Conference. http://www.health2con.com/dc-2010/ If you are not familiar with Health 2.0, it is an exciting place to be for those interested in managing health. The best description of the Conference comes directly from the site:   “The Health 2.0 Conference is the leading showcase of cutting-edge technologies in health care, including Online Communities, Search, and lightweight Tools for consumers to manage their health and connect to providers online.”
My first step into the collaborations around Health 2.0 and similar events made me feel like I was leading a double life!  After 20+ years in traditional healthcare, inside hospitals and academic medical centers, the vibrant, innovative discussions on “thinking outside the box” for healthcare left me feeling that I did not fit in.  Luckily, the consistently entertaining leaders of Health 2.0 (Matthew Holt and Indu Subaiya) have brought the diverse crowds from both camps together in great discussions.  One feature—the 4-minute presentation from Innovators—allows the audience to view a glimpse of new products and services.  One of interest to dietitians is: ScanAvert http://www.scanavert.com/—an iPhone or Droid application that can scan ingredient labels and identify ingredients which serves as “Detection and Alarm Against Ingredient Harm.”
The next best content was the mention of an “innovation contest.”  Most of us have heard of “meaningful use” and think of it in relation to electronic health records (EHR) and the “eligible provider” incentive programs of the HITECH Act.  There are SO many opportunities in the area of nutrition—and an abundance of creative thinkers in dietetics! Please consider participating—and let me know if you do!
Health 2.0 Developer Challenge  http://health2challenge.org/  Health 2.0 will host a series of events leading up to the final Challenge during the Health 2.0 Annual Conference October 6-9, 2010, the culminating event of Health Innovation Week, October 3-10, in San Francisco CA.
VA Innovative Initiative http://www4.va.gov/vai2/The Veteran’s Administration awarded Industry Innovation Competition support for specific areas of concern to health care for Veterans, amongst them Telehealth.