ONC Video Challenge and HHS Awareness Month on Blood Pressure

ONC Extends Video Challenge Deadline to May 16

May is National High Blood Pressure Education Month and Stroke Awareness Month. According to HHS observing both in the same month educates you to control your BP and prevent strokes. Strokes are currently the 4th leading cause of death in the US. Hypertension (high BP) is known as the “silent killer” which can damage your heart, brain, or kidneys without a single symptom.

In September 2009 President Obama outlined and initiated his Strategy for American Innovation. He called on agencies to “increase their ability to promote innovation by using tools such as prizes and challenges to solve tough problems.” The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) then issued the guidelines on challenges, contests, and prizes in March of 2010. The guidelines provide a policy and legal framework to guide agencies in using prizes to advance their missions through innovation. Challenge.gov was created as a platform for agencies to list, track, and promote their challenges.

The ONC partnered with Million Hearts, an HHS initiative to prevent a million heart attacks and strokes in five years, and the American Heart Association to sponsor “Beat Down Blood Pressure” Video Challenge. The challenge is to create an under 2 minute compelling video sharing how they use health IT or consumer e-health tools to manage high blood pressure. Health care providers can demonstrate how they use electronic health records and other health IT to manage their patients’ hypertension, help them take their medications as prescribed, and help their patients adopt healthy habits that enhance control of blood pressure. There are 5, $1000 prizes and 1, $500 prize. The deadline for submitting a video has been extended to May 16th.

Challenge Timeline
Submission Period – Ends May 16
Judging – May 23 through 30
Public Voting – March 28 through May 30
Winners Announced – June 15

Help spread the word about the challenge and add hashtag #HealthIT4UBP to your tweets.

To enter create an account.

Read the Official Rules and Eligibility.