Over 175 technology and healthcare innovators joined forces over the weekend of April 13-15 to unite the gaming and healthcare communities for the future. What’s a more suitable location than the GuideWell Innovation Core building? As introductions began on day one, the team who created the event joked about taking over the GuideWell workspace. This was the first-ever MeGa Health Jam and was sponsored by giants like EA Sports and Florida Hospital, while being organized by Florida Health Innovators, Indienomicon, and Rob Coble.
“We know this weekend, what we’re manufacturing is serendipity,” stated Kunal Patel, the co-founder of Indienomicon. Indienomicon is a community that banded together on a mission to bring awareness to the culture, excitement, and incredible talent of the indie developers of Central Florida. This community was founded in 2013.
The point of this jam was to have completed any functional projects by the end of the weekend. They really want to make an impact on future healthcare and how gaming can PLAY a part. What better way to bring together two groups that don’t normally correlate by reaching out to the creative gaming community, including those who aren’t happy with the current state of healthcare.
The projects fell under six primary tracks:
- Children’s Health
o Oncology, Anxiety, Risk Factors, Asthma
- Behavioral and Disability
o PTSD, Autism, Shyness, Suicide Prevention, Mass Tragedy Events
- Aging Well
o Diabetes, Falls, Loneliness, Nutrition, Caregivers
- Engagement and Adherence
o Care Plan Compliance, Medication Adherence, Patient Education
- Community/Social Responsibility
o Food Desserts, Minority Careers in Healthcare, Access to Care, Human Trafficking
- Security, Payments and Privacy
o Blockchain, HIPAA, Payments, Confidentiality Challenges
How can two groups that almost never join forces unite and create change?
Through Virtual Reality (VR)
- Make physical therapy fun through VR games that strengthen player in real life (IRL).
Through Augmented Reality (AR)
- Display digital items IRL (visualization). The future is now, folks!
Through exercise
- Doctors can track all things medical: strengthening, weakening, heart rate, etc.
Day One:
Introductions were made, pitches were shared, and teams were formed. The focus of the kickoff day of the MeGa Health Jam was to get to know everyone and plan the game-changing healthcare project with one’s team.
The 23 mentors/advisors made their introductions and were adorned with red stethoscopes.
An icebreaker began with a rock, paper, scissors competition with a room full of gamers. I was doomed. You turn to your neighbor and challenge them to rock, paper, scissors. Winner moves on to challenge another winner. Loser rallies with the winner and becomes their hype man or woman. Losers grow as winners dwindle, and eventually you have a large supportive group backing you, and, in the end, you’re all winners.
Around 40 eager and inspired innovators pitched their project ideas initially. Only 22 survived based off of support. A few teams merged, and 16 prevailed to begin working on their projects and bringing them to life. Ideas varied from VR simulators (which would help others understand what it’s like to be in the shoes of someone who deals with ADHD) to those who overcome the everyday challenges of social anxiety. Additional pitches focused on the opioid crisis and suicide. Some were inspired by their own challenges or experiences, while others found their influence through family members or passions/interests. All ideas were solid and were focused on one main notion: reform.
Day Two:
The second day of the MeGa Health Jam focused on working and creating the projects and bringing them to life. Several teams had to overcome challenges like glitches and making sure their actual games/applications were workable.
Day Three:
The 16 teams had about half-a-day to wrap up their projects, upload them and then present them to the judges and audience. And 16 presentations later, we had our top five.
Fifth Place – WAKE
This app focuses on brainwaves, and participants can utilize breathing and meditation exercises. In real time, users can see how the exercises are affecting their brainwaves. Users would wear a brainwave headband with five sensors, an accelerometer and a gyro.
Fourth Place – Fantastic Hands and Where to Find Them
This game was created to help those who have issues with finger and hand mobility. It focuses on how flexion is good, but consistent flexion (which is something that today’s society has us all doing almost nonstop) is bad. It delves into the world of rehab therapy for stroke patients who lose feeling/movement in their fingers and arms and helps deviate the effects of carpal tunnel. It’s meant to revolutionize physical therapy and make it fun. [This group was also the audience favorite.]
Third Place – bARk
This project was founded by a young woman who would visit hospitals with her therapy dog and couldn’t visit all of the children in the pediatric units due to their health. She wanted those kids to still be able to interact with a dog and bring smiles to their faces. The AR dog named “ARchie” can be placed anywhere in the user’s room, and users can pet him, tell him to sit and roll over with appropriate gestures, and even play fetch with him. She hopes to further the app and create more animal choices for users to pick from. What’s better than having a dog in the room?
Second Place – ZenBloom
This game focuses on relaxation and anxiety relief, incorporating a Dance Dance Revolution game mat and a VR headset. Players are brought into their own personal sanctuary where their feet and arm movements transform a dojo, gradually building it up. It’s essentially a VR version of yoga, without the difficult poses.
First Place – Boo Boo Snap
This idea stemmed from a young woman who usually just attends the jams with no ideas until she reads the room. She’s a sound designer but taught herself how to program for Boo Boo Snap. She was inspired by the healthcare symbols all around the room and thought of Band-Aids. She said, “Doctors are finite, but there’s Band-Aids everywhere. Everyone has Band-Aids.” She then thought of her niece, who is obsessed with printed/themed Band-Aids. The young woman created an AR Band-Aid that would bring the image on the Band-Aid to life. She mentioned how it could connect to your phone and track your activity, and nurses/doctors would be able to do the same.
The judges agreed that her project was something that addressed furthering healthcare right now, and it was taking a simple medical object that everyone has used at some point in their life and completely transforming it into the future of healthcare.
Not really knowing what I was getting involved in when I originally showed up on day one to cover the event, I’ll be thinking about this weekend for awhile. Change really can be brought about by something as simple as what we may brush off as “just a thought.” Most individuals/groups initially presented their pitches based off of an idea that they had, nothing more. Taking the inspiration you have and turning it into something that really can transform and advance the healthcare system truly is mesmerizing and stimulating. Seeing firsthand what these two powerful communities can do in just 48 hours when they join forces is absolutely flabbergasting.
The end of the MeGa Health Jam brought all in attendance full circle with the icebreaker we participated in on day one: We are all truly winners.
