healthdata.gov/developer challenges

Seven domain and platform healthdata.gov/developer challenges were announced at this years Health Datapalooza [1]. An overview of the planned challenges can be found here [2]. Two are open now to interested submitters, a Metadata [3] and WebID [4] based challenges, with $35K prizes each, closing in early October 2012. For more overall context on the open source healthdata.gov platform and related developer challenges, see this presentation [5] that briefly describes our direction and related works.

The challenge releases are sequenced in order to build on each other, culminating with the continuation of a recent HHS OCIO / DERI [6] collaboration that leverages WebID AuthN (and can also be used as an API key for any service requestor agent) integrated with the (data.gov.uk developed) Linked Data API [7] and a Privacy Preference Ontology [8] driven AuthZ implementation, which was the subject of #semtechbiz 2012 presentation [9]. We believe this represents one approach to realizing the goal of achieving 'data element access services' as described in the PCAST Health IT Report [10], enabling a shift toward 'securing data, not just devices' [11].

The standards, tools, languages and components described in the current collateral on healthdata.gov exemplify what we're currently using and where we're planning on going, but we're certainly open to any and all approaches that are more innovative or effective. More details about the next set of challenges to be released are forthcoming in subsequent /developer blog posts.

Please disseminate this call for participation and collaboration widely at your discretion and include #healthdata hashtag where appropriate. Threaded discussion will occur on challenge.gov, with moderated blog post comments on healthdata.gov, but feel free to also email me if you're interested in participating and; you have any questions or observations, you want to understand more about the utility of key=value pairs where key's have HTTP URI's [12], you want to know what we think distinguishes 'Web 2.0' and 'Web 3.0' API's, you want to flame me with your misunderstanding of linked data and knowledge graphs, or whatever else is on your mind.

We would like to thank W3C, OMG, OGC voluntary consensus standards organizations and the GSA Data.gov PMO tech leaders for participating as our organizational partners to review your challenge submissions. We hope *you* will engage with us as we attempt to enhance the capabilities of our open source platform and the utility of our linked health data, and that you'll decide to either team up or go it alone and compete in our developer challenges!

Regards,

George Thomas, @georgethomas
U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services
healthdata.gov/developer lead
W3C Government Linked Data WG co-chair

[1] http://www.hdiforum.org/
[2] http://www.healthdata.gov/developer-challenges-overview
[3] http://www.healthdata.gov/blog/domain-challenge-1-metadata
[4] http://www.healthdata.gov/blog/platform-challenge-1-simplified-sign
[5] http://www.healthdata.gov/blog/healthdatagov-now-next-and-challenges
[6] http://soso.deri.ie/
[7] http://code.google.com/p/linked-data-api/
[8] http://vocab.deri.ie/ppo
[9] http://semtechbizsf2012.semanticweb.com/sessionPop.cfm?confid=65&proposalid=4539
[10] http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/pcast-health-it-report.pdf
[11] http://fedscoop.com/vanroekel-park-cut-and-invest-balance-guides-it/
[12] http://json-ld.org/