• The Curious Technologist

Wired: Hackathons Aren’t Just for Coders. We Can Use Them to Save Lives

“With growing attention on medical technology “hackathons“—summits that bring together engineers, clinicians, entrepreneurs, and designers to develop innovative solutions to health problems—the conversation has turned to whether they are more hype than impact. After all, what can 250 people in a room for two days really do to solve challenges that experts over decades have been unable to address?

A lot, it turns out. They can break down walls to develop real solutions that save lives. And this is especially true in the realm of global health, where new, low-cost technologies can help to address the intractable shortage of healthcare workers in low- and middle-income countries.

After organizing five medical technology (“medtech”) hackathons across three continents over the past 18 months, I’ve seen these results.”