October 1 marked the start of the fifth video contest sponsored by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC). For the Blue Button Video Challenge, patients are urged to create videos that raise awareness of the Blue Button initiative in creative and entertaining ways.
What is Blue Button?
According to the ONC, “Blue Button” means “to download your health data.” It is a way for patients to get secure, electronic access to their health information. Health experts are encouraging patients to Blue Button in order to improve care coordination and increase patient involvement in their own health care. Many patients do not know that they can access their health information or do not understand the importance of doing so; and the Blue Button initiative is striving to change this.
About the Contest
The Blue Button video contest invites participants to describe how they have used Blue Button in the past or how they would use it in the future if they had access to it. The only requirements of the contest are that Blue Button is mentioned at least once, that the official Blue Button graphic appears in the video, that people are encouraged to visit HealthIT.gov and that the video does not exceed two minutes in length.
Participants can submit their entries through November 13, and judges will be evaluating submissions for the following criteria:
- Creativity and coherence of the script/story.
- Potential impact on increasing awareness of Blue Button – Is the video compelling, inspiring, instructive and shareable?
- Whether the idea was implemented in a fun, edgy and memorable way.
- How many plays the video received on YouTube or Vimeo.
The public will be able to vote between 10am EST November 19 and 5pm EST November 27. The video that receives the most views online will receive the Popular Choice Award ($600). There will also be five other prizes awarded: first prize ($3,000), second prize ($2,000), third prize ($1,250) and two honorable mentions ($750 each).
By having access to their health data, patients can verify the accuracy of their health records, better manage their medical data, and share pertinent medical information with physicians across different care settings.
