Improving Care for People with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Using Technology (iCare-AD/ADRD) Challenge

iCare-AD/ADRD challenge logo

iCare-AD/ADRD challenge logo

Through this challenge, the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, seeks to reward and spur the development of solutions for a technology-based application, fostering connections between relevant stakeholders to use technology, or the development of new technology applications to improve dementia care coordination and/or care navigation.

The Challenge

The Improving Care for People with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Using Technology (iCare-AD/ADRD) Challenge is a Eureka prize competition in which the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, rewards and spurs the development of solutions for a technology-based application, fostering connections between relevant stakeholders to use technology, or the development of new technology applications to improve dementia care coordination and/or care navigation.

Though the solution should foster connections between relevant stakeholders to use technology or develop new technology applications, it may be targeted at consumers (persons with dementia (PWD), caregivers), healthcare providers, healthcare service organizations, and/or health systems, and/or community, local, or state governments. Specific methods for stimulating uptake and use of the product must be included with the proof-of-concept demonstration. A working demonstration of the product is required. Please see the “Submission Requirements and Template” section for the necessary submission information.

Navigating the complex US healthcare system can be challenging for PWD and their caregivers. They must pursue an uncertain course of care, of unknown duration, across different care settings and interact with many different types of care providers and interventions. Models of dementia care have evolved in recent years and have the potential to improve outcomes. Barriers to adoption, however, include workforce limitations, the cost of practice redesign, and limited uptake by insurers and health systems.

Effective dementia care management has been shown to improve outcomes such as reducing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and lower health care costs by reducing emergency department visits, inpatient hospitalizations, and some readmissions. This competition is intended to stimulate innovation in use of technology to improve care coordination and/or navigation and/or aid with the care experience so that overall dementia care quality is improved.

The Prize

The total prize purse for this Challenge is up to $400,000. Up to 3 winners will be awarded. The first-place winner will receive up to $250,000, the second-place winner will receive up to $100,000, and the third-place winner will receive up to $50,000. Additional solvers may be recognized with non-monetary awards. The NIH reserves the right to cancel, suspend, and/or modify this Challenge at any time by amending the Announcement Notice on NIA’s iCare-AD/ADRD website and iCare-AD/ADRD page on challenge.gov. In addition, the NIH reserves the right to not award any prizes if no solutions are deemed worthy. The Award Approving Official will be Richard J. Hodes, M.D., Director of the National Institute on Aging.

Prizes awarded under this competition will be paid by electronic funds transfer and may be subject to Federal income taxes. HHS/NIH will comply with the Internal Revenue Service withholding and reporting requirements, where applicable.

Source: nia.nih.gov