In support of valuable health data ecosystems, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra has recently launched The Fair Health Data Challenge: a unique fair data-driven solution contest aspiring to identify health and well-being solutions and services that are based on data sharing and fair values.
What is the challenge?
The organisers are seeking practical examples from all over Europe to show the way to adopt shared rules for a fair data economy. The aim is to identify existing or soon-to-be-published health and well-being services where data is used transparently and with the consent of individuals. Human-centricity is seen as an advantage in the solution.
A board of domain experts will evaluate candidate solutions against seven factors:
- personal data management,
- user-friendliness and accessibility,
- data-sharing model,
- fairness,
- security and confidentiality,
- innovativeness,
- trust.
Why is the challenge important?
Unlocking the potential of health data reuse is a key priority of EU4Health, the 4th EU Health programme. Data-driven services contribute to EU4Health objectives of responding to cross-border health threats and strengthening health systems.
Furthermore, fair data sharing in a trustworthy and well-governed health data ecosystem that will spur health research, innovation and policymaking is the ultimate goal of the European Health Data Space initiative.
Unlike other sectors, data sharing in the health domain faces increased challenges and successful initiatives are scarce.
Two years ago, EHTEL signposted health data ecosystems development as a key driver for healthcare innovation and organised thematic workshops under the multiannual programme Imagining 2029 and EHTEL Annual Symposium 2020, in collaboration with Sitra.
Now, we welcome this new challenge and encourage our members and partners to contribute by sharing and submitting their initiatives.
Applications are open until 9 April 2021.
To learn more about Sitra's involvement with data health ecosystems, watch the presentations its staff made at the EHTEL Annual Symposium 2020, as part of the Developing the health data ecosystem and Preparing the ground ready for (European) Health Data Systems sessions: