Winners of UCL Computer Science Society FHIRworks hackathon in collaboration with GOSH and Roche

Earlier this year, UCL and the GOSH DRIVE unit were abuzz with UCL Computer Science students, NHS professionals and leaders from tech and pharma companies. Everyone was working to explore different ways that technology could streamline processes in the NHS or enhance patient care.

The student-led UCL Computer Science Society worked closely with GOSH DRIVE to organise the two-day hackathon. GOSH DRIVE is Great Ormond Street Hospital's Data Research, Innovation, and Virtual Environments unit, which works to transform the use of data and technology in healthcare. Roche and GOSH DRIVE have a long standing collaborative NHS-Industry partnership in which they harnessing the power of data science to move towards more personalised care for patients.

UCL Computer Science's Professor Dean Mohamedally introduced a panel of experts who briefed the students. Among them were Dr Atia Rafiq, NHS GP, GP Trainer and Honorary Lecturer and Dr Rebecca Pope, Roche UK's Digital & Data Science Innovation Lead.

Other speakers were Stephanie Stasey, Microsoft's Healthcare Transformation Lead for the NHS and Alexis Edwards, Associate Partner, IBM Healthcare Consulting EMEA. Professor Julia Manning, Honorary Professor of Practice at UCL Computer Science and President of the Digital Health Council at the Royal Society of Medicine, also presented.

Dr Eze Ethelbert, a Data Engineer at Great Ormond Street Hospital, provided technical guidance.   

Winning projects

The competition asked students to collaborate with healthcare specialists to create proofs of concept that could address some of the challenges within the NHS. Together, they brainstormed around themes such as 'Wards of the Future', 'Generative AI' and 'Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR)'. FHIR is the global standard for exchanging electronic healthcare data and helps the NHS to connect disparate equipment and systems.

First place: E-Go App enhances emergency response data

The winning idea was E-Go, devised by Grace Lee Sue Ern, Declan Loo, Thaddeus Ong Ting Shuo, Aaditya Kumarm and Mohamed Mohamed. The E-Go app gives response teams medical data about the individuals they are rushing to assist. The app also provides the location, symptoms, and cause of injury to ensure patients get the optimum treatment as quickly as possible. 

Second place: WakeUp system improves communication for patients with disabilities

Second place went to the WakeUp System from David Frischer, Fatima Hussain, Dias Jakupov, Thuvargan Sivayoganathan, Ethan Sun and Jingyuan Wang. The WakeUp system aims to improve the independence and wellbeing of patients with disabilities and those in long-term care. It enables patients to blink their eyes or use sound or cough patterns to communicate with medical teams.

Third place: OPTI-FHIR helps tackle musculoskeletal issues with desk assessments

Third-placed was OPTI-FHIR, created by Osman Ediz Cinbas, Vikkash Sureshkumar, Kevin Jin and Alicia Mak. OPTI-FHIR tackles musculoskeletal problems caused by poor posture while sitting at a desk. Using a 3D scan of the working environment and patient data (via FHIR), GPs can assess the desk setup of individuals and provide remedial exercises.

Nicholas James, Partnership Project Manager at Great Ormond Street Hospital, said:

"I extend my thanks to all the clinicians and industry professionals who dedicated their time to attending the hackathon, and a special thanks to the exceptionally talented UCL students for their hard work in demonstrating what is possible. Innovation thrives on collaboration, and this hackathon undeniably demonstrated the power of working together."

Dr Rebecca Pope UK Digital & Data Science Innovation Lead at Roche added: "The students blew me away with their creativity, passion and teamwork. It's so fantastic to see the innovative outputs of the GOSH-Roche partnership being used in such a creative way to solve real-life healthcare challenges which might otherwise not be addressed. The event not only showcased the remarkable talent within UCL but also highlighted how collaboration between industry and the NHS can offer real value to patient care."

Congratulations to the winners, and very well done to everyone else who took part.