This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the launch of their first-ever Artificial Intelligence Health Outcomes Challenge. The three-stage competition accelerates artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to better predict health outcomes such as unplanned hospital and skilled nursing facility admissions and adverse events for potential use by the Innovation Center in testing innovative payment and service delivery models under the authority of section 1115A of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1315a). CMS is partnering with the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and the Laura and John Arnold Foundation to award up to $1.65 million to selected participants during the three stages of the Challenge.
Challenge Objectives
1. Use AI/deep learning methodologies to predict unplanned hospital and SNF admissions and adverse events within 30 days for Medicare beneficiaries, based on a data set of Medicare administrative claims data, including Medicare Part A (hospital) and Medicare Part B (professional services).
2. Develop innovative strategies and methodologies to explain the AI-derived predictions to front-line clinicians and patients to aid in providing appropriate clinical resources to model participants, and increase use of AI-enhanced data feedback for quality improvement activities among model participants.
3 Stages of the Challenge
1. During the Launch Stage, participants will submit an application via ai.cms.gov and provide information about their proposed solution. Up to 20 participants will be selected to advance to Stage 1.
2. During Stage 1, participants will design and test their proposed solution using certain Medicare claims data sets. Up to five participants will be selected to advance to Stage 2 and will each be awarded up to $80,000.
3. During Stage 2, finalists will be able to request additional Medicare claims data and refine their solutions. The grand prize winner in Stage 2 will be awarded up to $1 million and the runner up will be awarded up to $250,000.
Judging Criteria
A multi-disciplinary judging panel will review and score entries for all stages of the AI Health Outcomes Challenge. Participants should ensure that their entry provides sufficient detail and information to allow the judging panel to evaluate the entry in accordance with the following criteria:
– Impact o Proposed Solution
– Innovation of Proposed Solution
– AI-Human Collaboration
– Participants Qualifications/History
Challenge Duration & Dates
The Challenge will run for approximately one year. The Launch Stage will run from March 2019 through June 2019. Stage 1 will run from summer 2019 – fall 2019. Stage 2 will run from winter 2019 through spring 2020 and the winner will be announced in April 2020.
