TECHNOLOGY GAMES 2000 AWARDS PRIZES TO 
16 OUTSTANDING HEALTH AND TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS

Sixteen cutting edge interactive health communication applications and health information Web sites received awards and cash prizes totaling $5,000 in the recent Technology Games 2000, the Nation’s premier competition for developers of health and technology applications. Fifty-two applications engaged in a “friendly competition” for the awards and prize money. The Games are supported by the Annenberg Public Policy Center and the Annenberg School for Communication of the University of Pennsylvania.

The Technology Games is a highly visible opportunity for developers of interactive health communication applications to showcase their use of communication and information technologies to improve health. Technology Games 2000 is the fourth time that leading developers and vendors of interactive health applications have had a national forum to demonstrate their work to an expert panel of judges and meeting participants, including health professionals, business executives, policymakers, and prominent public figures.

Each member of the judging panel is an expert in health and technology. The 22 judges were drawn from the academic, corporate, online health, and government arenas. The number of awards and the amount of the cash prizes were at the discretion of the panel. Members of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Science Panel on Interactive Communication and Health (www.scipich.org) and other experts helped develop the judging guidelines and criteria. The Panel used these general categories to evaluate entries: background of owners, developers, and sponsors of the application; purpose; content; privacy, confidentiality and security protections; application design; and results and effectiveness of the application. For a complete list of judges, go to http://www.health.gov/partnerships/exhibits/judges.htm. For a complete list of judging criteria, go to http://www.health.gov/partnerships/exhibits/criteria.htm.

The Games were held as part of the “Partnerships for Health in the New Millennium” national conference held January 24-28 and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Games are organized by the Partnerships for Networked Consumer Health Information, a public-private partnership sponsored by HHS to promote the development of interactive telecommunication and computer technologies that help consumers take greater responsibility for their health.

The following is a list of the winners, their awards, and prize amounts. For more information, go to http://www.health.gov/partnerships/exhibits/winners.htm. A complete list of participants in the Technology Games is available at http://www.health.gov/partnerships/exhibits/gameslist.htm.

Technology Games 2000 Winners

Best of Show Award  - $1,000.00 each

• BioRehab System, Enhanced Mobility Technologies. 
  Judges’ comments: An innovative, science-based application that demonstrates clear outcomes.
• Relate for Teens, Ripple Effects, Inc.
  Judges’ comments: A theory-based application that has undergone independent evaluation. It is appropriate for all literacy levels and fits its target audience well. It also has high entertainment value.

• The National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC), Office on Women's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  Judges’ comments: A comprehensive health information site for women and men. It fills niches for culturally appropriate information and information for disabled persons. Materials have been rewritten at appropriate literacy levels.

• The Zone, New England Research Institutes. 
  Judges’ comments: A multi-format application that targets a diverse audience. Notably, the application has undergone independent evaluation.

• Tonsil and Adenoid Surgery, Center of Excellence for Medical MultiMedia. 
  Judges’ comments: An innovative way to help patients deal with the difficult issue of informed consent.

• The ABC Immunization Calendar, Health Communication Research Laboratory, St. Louis University.
  Judges’ comments: A simple to use application that demonstrates clear outcomes.
• DietWatch - Online Diet and Fitness Management, DietWatch.com, Inc.
  Judges’ comments: A science-based application that keeps its information fresh and helps build a sense of community among users.

• What is Low Vision?, National Eye Institute.
  Judges’ comments: An accessible application (it is available on kiosks in shopping malls) with clean graphics and material at appropriate reading levels for its audience.

• HealthTalk Interactive, HealthTalk Interactive.
  Judges’ comments: A multi-media application that provides support for individuals and family, as well as builds community and provides distance learning. Special commendation for providing full disclosure of funding sources.

• Best of Health Online, LIFELINE International. 
  Judges’ comments: A sophisticated employee wellness program with an excellent user interface.

• Unet, United Network for Organ Sharing.
  Judges’ comments: An application that fills a unique niche and provides valuable information about its issue—organ sharing.

• Missouri Information for Community Assessment (MICA) and Community Health Planning Profiles, Missouri Department of Health.
  Judges’ comments: Unique services that provide well-documented, valuable information at the community level.

• PubMed, National Library of Medicine. 
  Judges’ comments: A national treasure, recognized for its historical significance, that changed the way that patients and consumers thought about and had access to health information.