COMPLETED

Unlocking Data Health (COVID-19)

Triggered by the COVID-19 crisis, Israel's Ministry of Health (MoH) held a virtual Datathon based on de-identified governmental data. Organized by a multidisciplinary committee, Israel’s research community was invited to offer insights to COVID-19 policy challenges. - Lab image / virus in digital / injection

Background

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Israel's Ministry of Health (MoH), in collaboration with the Innovation Authority, University of Haifa, and Microsoft, initiated a virtual Datathon using de-identified governmental data. This event was organized by a multidisciplinary committee and aimed to engage Israel’s research community in addressing COVID-19 policy challenges and fostering innovative solutions

Objectives

The Datathon was designed to 

Develop operationalizable data-driven models to address COVID-19 health-policy challenges.
Build a community of researchers from academia, industry and government and rebuild their trust in the government. 
This study also outlines a process for future data-driven regulatory responses for health crises.

Key Events

Datathon Preparation

The MoH, in collaboration with the Innovation Authority, University of Haifa, and Microsoft, defined specific challenges based on their significance, data availability, and potential for anonymization.

Data Preparation

Diverse, reliable, up-to-date, and de-identified governmental datasets were prepared. Secure remote-access research environments were established using Amazon Web Services, and data-security tests were conducted.

Community Engagement

Information and registration were publicized via official and informal social media channels. Mentors and judges were recruited from experts in data science, epidemiology, policy/regulation, and presentation.

Datathon Execution

Eighteen multidisciplinary teams, composed of 78 participants and mentored by 20 data scientists, 6 epidemiologists, 5 presentation mentors, and 5 jurists, participated in the 48-hour Datathon.

Key Findings

  • The three winning teams developed prototype models currently under consideration by the MoH for potential national policy applications.
  • Participants and mentors reported increased trust in the MoH and a greater readiness to collaborate with the government on future projects.
  • Feedback from participants provided valuable insights for improving the structure and organization of future government-led Datathons.

Through these efforts, the initiative highlights the potential for governments to engage multiple stakeholders in harnessing diverse approaches to address policy challenges by analyzing comprehensive, reliable, and de-identified governmental databases.

Conducted judiciously, this process can increase public confidence in government regulatory policies and enhance data-driven decision-making during health crises.

Our Partners

Ministry of Health (MoH)
Innovation Authority
University of Haifa
Microsoft

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