To help consumers contribute to the improvement of health care delivery, Regenstrief’s Center for Health Services Research is conducting the inaugural The People’s Choice for Healthcare Delivery Contest, inviting submissions of original, innovative ideas from any U.S. citizen or legal resident age 13 or older. Deadline for online entry is Jan. 15. There is no limit to the number of submissions by an individual or group.
The contest will provide the grand prize winner with the unique opportunity to have world-class researchers pursue his/her/their idea. Judged by a panel of experts, successful ideas will be innovative, with measurable impact for health care consumers; feasible to implement in the U.S. health care system within five years; and compatible with the Regenstrief Institute’s mission to improve health through research that enhances the quality and cost-effectiveness of health care.
In addition to a monetary award, the contest grand prize winner will be given the opportunity to come to Indianapolis and brainstorm with the research team.
“Access to health care and the cost and safety of health care services are of critical interest to our country. Physicians and other professional care providers, and academic and community-based hospitals and clinics, are important partners in discovering the best methods to deliver care. Input from patients — the consumers of health care services — is vital, and through this contest we hope to hear from people across the country,” said Regenstrief Investigator Michael Weiner, M.D., MPH. Weiner is director of the Regenstrief Institute Center for Health Services Research; director of the Indiana University Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research; and associate professor of medicine at the IU School of Medicine.
Health care delivery encompasses how we organize and provide comprehensive health care services — including medical evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up — for individuals and populations.
“We are looking for fresh ideas that we can turn into research hypotheses, and we hope for a flood of novel ideas from patient-consumers who are sitting in waiting rooms across America thinking, ‘Couldn’t this be better if …,’” said Lori Losee, M.A., center manager for the Regenstrief Institute Center for Health Services Research and IU Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research.
As an academic institution, Regenstrief is particularly interested in the ideas of the next generation of young professionals and scientists. In addition to individuals, school groups and clubs are encouraged to submit ideas.
The People’s Choice for Healthcare Delivery Contest is funded by a Regenstrief Institute Innovation Award. Announcement of the grand prize winner will be made in late spring 2013.
Contest ideas, whether winners or not, may potentially improve the delivery of health care.
To learn more and to enter, visit The People’s Choice for Healthcare Delivery website.