The prestigious Digital Health VADIAN Innovation Prize takes place this year on November 25, 2021, at the Kantonsspital St. Gallen. It is embedded in the daylong symposium “Management of chronic diseases – Added value through digital health“. The symposium focuses on the global view of chronic diseases and their impact on society and the health system and includes expert talks, practical workshops focusing on concrete problems and possible solutions, and lectures on possible applications of digital medicine in different disciplines.

Another highlight is the Digital Health VADIAN innovation prize, where an expert jury and audience voting determine the best digital health startup.

The 10 jury members are…

1. PD Dr. Stefan Bilz, Clinic for Endocrinology, Diabetology, Osteology and Metabolic Diseases, KSSG
2. Gabriella Chiesa Tanner, Board, Health Promotion Switzerland
3. Prof. Dr. Alexander Geissler, Management in Healthcare, School of Medicine, HSG
4. Prof. Dr. Tobias Kowatsch (Chair), Centre for Digital Health Interventions, HSG & ETH Zurich
5. PD Dr. Frank Rassouli, Clinic for Pneumology and Sleep Medicine, KSSG
6. Prof. Dr. Hans Rickli, Clinic for Cardiology, KSSG
7. Prof. Dr. René Rossi, Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles, empa St.Gallen
8. Dr. Theresa Schachner, Centre for Digital Health Interventions, HSG & ETH Zurich
9. Dr. Dagmar Schmid, Clinic for Psychosomatics and Consultant Psychiatry, KSSG
10. Dr. Therese Triemer, Novartis Switzerland

Startups that are interested to join the Digital Health VADIAN innovation prize competition can apply via email to marlies.beczoek@kssg.ch no later than October 15, 2021. The email must contain the name, role, and short bio of the presenter (max. 150 words). In addition, the digital health service must be described including at least one sentence for each of the four “Jury” rating dimensions listed below (max. 250 words for this description in total).

We offer the most promising startups a 5-minute presentation slot during the symposium in front of health care professionals, experts and other participants interested in digital health. Presentation modalities are open – as lively as possible from ppts, live demos to “bring-your-own-device” formats are possible, in English or German. Information given during the presentations will be the basis for the jury and audience rating. We will also add a logo and weblink of the most promising startups on the website of the symposium. Moreover, participating presenters will be invited to the speakers’ dinner in the evening after the symposium (in case the pandemic allows it).

The following evaluation criteria will be used by the jury and the audience of the symposium:

1. Originality (10%, jury vote)
2. Technical quality (10%, jury vote)
3. Integration potential in current health data management systems/daily living of humans (10%, jury vote)
4. Potential health impact/medical utility (20%, jury vote)
5. Overall impression (50%, audience vote of the symposium)

We are looking very much forward to receive your applications and wish you all the best of luck!