With digital health technologies gaining significant momentum, research indicates growing public acceptance of AI-powered health interventions when supported by clinical expertise and evidence-based guidelines. To leverage this opportunity, the American Heart Association (AHA) – a relentless force for longer, healthier lives worldwide – has launched its inaugural CarePlan Challenge this year. Spearheaded by the AHA’s Center for Health Technology & Innovation, this initiative aims to drive innovation and expand access to guideline-based cardiovascular care through digital solutions.
Competition Framework and Technical Requirements
The challenge invited developers, health tech innovators, and AI specialists worldwide to create digital prototypes integrating the AHA’s scientific care plans, including:
Personalized care pathways for post-acute and chronic conditions (heart failure, hypertension, cardiac rehabilitation)
Life’s Essential 8™ framework for improving cardiovascular health
PREVENT™ risk calculator for estimating 20-30 year cardiovascular disease risk
Participants received API access to CarePlans and digital tools to facilitate seamless integration of AHA’s evidence-based content into their solutions.
Evaluation Criteria and Expert Judging Panel
Innovation & Creativity: Unique application of AHA content and APIs
Technical Implementation: Code quality, effective API utilization, and performance
User Experience & Design: Interface intuitiveness, accessibility, and engagement
Clinical Impact & Relevance: Potential to improve outcomes while adhering to AHA guidelines
An expert jury comprising leaders in digital health, clinical research, and implementation science evaluated the entries, including Dr. Azizi Seixas (University of Miami), Tatyana Kanzeveli (Open Health Network), and Dr. Seth Martin (Johns Hopkins Hospital).
Winning Solutions and Innovative Features
Three standout solutions demonstrated exceptional innovation:
ConneQT Guided Health Plan: A mobile solution connecting daily tasks, biometric data from CONNEQT Pulse, and personalized goals from the PREVENT calculator to build heart-healthy habits
Porter Health: A web-based cross-platform tool generating one-click preventive and cardio-kidney-metabolic health assessments with LLM-tailored CarePlans
OneVillage: A women-focused virtual cardiac primary care platform transforming CarePlans and PREVENT guidance into 80-day personalized pathways
Competition Timeline and Showcase Event
Challenge winners will present their prototypes at the Health Innovation Pavilion during the AHA’s 2025 Scientific Sessions in New Orleans. The presentations, scheduled for Sunday, November 8 at 3:15 PM CT, will feature live demonstrations before the expert judging panel and audience, providing valuable feedback for further development.
Industry Impact and Future Directions
The CarePlan Challenge represents a significant milestone in cardiovascular care’s digital transformation. By bridging evidence-based medicine, artificial intelligence, and user-centered design, these innovations hold potential to significantly enhance preventive care, chronic disease management, and patient engagement. The AHA reaffirms its commitment to fostering such innovation competitions to accelerate the responsible scaling of digital health technologies in cardiovascular care.
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