What You Should Know:
– The HHS and the American Society of Nephrology announces the launch of the COVID-19 Kidney Care Challenge.
– The $300k challenge aims to identify and share these frontline solutions so all communities can benefit. Winners will receive $20,000 each in recognition of their solutions.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) launched the KidneyX COVID-19 Kidney Care Challenge . The $300,000 challenge invites eligible entities or individuals to submit demonstrated solutions that reduce the transmission of coronavirus among people living with kidney disease and/or reduce the risk of kidney damage among people who contract the virus.
Challenge Overview
The COVID-19 Kidney Care Challenge seeks to identify replicable solutions from providers, staff, patients, and caregivers and share them across healthcare communities. KidneyX is particularly interested in demonstrated solutions that consider the patient experience and could be implemented without requiring significant effort, expertise, money, or other resources.
These solutions may be applied in a range of settings — such as dialysis centers, clinics, hospitals, homes, and transport. Solutions may address, but are not limited to:
– Data collection and dissemination.
– Patient management and monitoring.
– Education, training, and communication.
– Supply chain and resource management.
– Care setting logistics.
KidneyX is particularly interested in solutions that consider the patient experience and could be implemented without requiring significant time, expertise, money, or other resources. Solutions that reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities facing existing health disparities are encouraged.
Why It Matters
The 37 million Americans living with kidney disease are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19. And acute kidney injury — sudden loss of kidney function — affects 20-40% of COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care. The pandemic is exacerbating existing health disparities and social determinants of health, as kidney disease disproportionately affects low-income communities and people of African American, Asian, Hispanic, Latin American, Native American, or Pacific Islander descent. Individuals and organizations on the front lines have responded by quickly developing or adapting solutions for safely delivering kidney care during the pandemic.
“COVID-19’s heavy impact will be felt for decades to come, drastically intensifying inequities within the American healthcare system,” said KidneyX Steering Committee Chair Dr. John Sedor. “The COVID-19 Kidney Care Challenge, alongside KidneyX’s ongoing work, offers us a way to potentially improve outcomes for patients in the near term — as well as help set innovation roadmaps for the health challenges of the future.”
Evaluation Criteria
The judging panel will assign up to five points for each of the criteria below, for a maximum of 20 points.
Impact: The confidence in the solution to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission among people with kidney disease and/or reduce the risk of kidney injury/disease among people who contract COVID-19.
Feasibility: The ease with which the solution could be implemented, considering factors such as time, expertise, money, or other resources required.
Adaptability: The extent to which the solution could be adapted for other people or used in other care settings and/or geographies.
Ingenuity: The degree to which the submission offers a new solution, demonstrates an improvement on an existing solution, or applies an existing solution in new ways.
Entrants are invited to submit their solutions via an online submission form. The submission form asks entrants to provide an overview of the solution; available data to demonstrate the solution has, or could have, a positive impact; and additional information to assess how the solution may be implemented in other settings.
Challenge Timeline
Round 1 of the challenge is now accepting solutions until December 4, 2020. Round 2 will be open to eligible entrants from Round 1, as well as new eligible entrants who did not enter the first round; the second round will accept solutions from December 9, 2020 to January 20, 2021. The judging panel will recommend winners from both rounds to receive $20,000 each in recognition of their solutions.
