Technology challenge solves pressing healthcare issues

The Johnson & Johnson Australia Family of Companies has announced the winners of its inaugural Heath and Technology Challenge (HaTCHathon).

Held from 9–11 September in Sydney, the challenge was a fast-paced event that encouraged over 50 of the nation’s brightest and most creative minds to create technology-based solutions for Australia’s most pressing healthcare issues. Participants were tasked with producing a ‘minimum viable product’ to address one of the five healthcare challenges: obesity; medication compliance; patient empowerment; the burden on the hospital system; and rural and regional access to health care.

The winner was the ‘KneeHab’ team, whose idea utilised a wearable connectable device to improve patient compliance and treatment outcomes for knee rehabilitation after a reconstruction. As explained by KneeHab’s Adam Pryor, “Our idea was built on using a high-precision motion measuring device that everyone could access — a smartphone.

“The program measures the performance and progress of a patient’s rehab, with reports sent to healthcare professionals and carers to ensure they are following their treatment plan,” Pryor continued. “We wanted to help people stay motivated with their at-home rehab, ultimately leading to a better quality of life for patients, reducing the costs and overall disease burden.”

The judges said the winning team “had an idea that appears to really hit a sweet spot in the market and addressed a particular problem on how to curb the rising costs of health care and to involve the patient in their own care and rehabilitation”. They thus awarded KneeHab the top prize of $8000 and the opportunity to work with the Johnson & Johnson Australia Family of Companies to consider commercialising their idea.

The runner-up of the event, ‘JAX’, developed a prototype electronic monitoring device called ‘Forget Me Not’ that can track when elderly patients, including those with Alzheimer’s, have taken their medication. JAX’s Astrid Jonelynas explained that the pill box monitoring device provides “immediate, real-time feedback to carers when their loved one has taken their medication”, improving convenience and reducing worry and stress.

“The HaTCHathon event drew over 55 of the country’s brightest minds to work with our mentors to spur breakthrough innovation that will benefit both patients and the strained healthcare system,” said Bruce Goodwin, managing director, Janssen Australia and New Zealand.

“Right now we are in the perfect storm for breakthrough innovation, and we were very excited to see the creative solutions that were presented by the participants.”