Boston Tackles Health Care Using Big Data at the Health 2.0 Code-A-Thon

In another sign of how strong the Boston health-tech and developer communities are, more than 70 participants shirked the perfect weather and blue bird skies to huddle inside to improve health care. They came together to generate and implement innovative ideas on how to use big data in health at Health 2.0′s Boston Big Data Code-A-Thon. Participants included developers, designers, MD’s, entrepreneurs and a range of others, including speakers from Blueprint Health, athenahealth and AT&T. The participants also represented a wide-array of organizations, including Harvard, Yale, MIT, Aetna, athenahealth, among others.

Despite the fact that more than $10,000 in cash and prizes are to be given out for the day, the money was not the primary motivator for many.

“I’m mostly interested in seeing what’s out there and what I can learn about data analysis,” said Bobby Cahill, a developer who specializes in PHP programming in a non-health care industry.

Brad Weinberg, MD, co-founder of Blueprint Health, a health incubator based in NYC, spoke about how “entrepreneurs commonly make two mistakes: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 mistakes are the mistakes you realize you make, while type 2 are the opportunities that you miss.”

Without doubt, the folks at the code-a-thon have become true risk takers and opportunists simply by showing up and are unlikely to make type 2 mistakes.

Code-a-thon winners are expected to be announced around 7pm EST and will be posted on Health 2.0 News later in the evening.