Have you seen any compelling videos that went viral lately? Ever dreamed of seeing your name in lights? Think information technology is a powerful tool that can be leveraged to improve health and health care? You may be the next viral sensation or help inspire someone else to be, thanks to ONC’s Healthy New Year Video Contest.

About the Video Contest

ONC is challenging the public to create a short but impactful video capturing your New Year’s resolution to improve your health or the health of a loved one. Your resolution must involve the use of information technology, which could include anything from asking your doctor for a copy of your health information, to making sure the information is accurate and complete. Or, from using a wireless pedometer to track your activity, to joining an online community to learn about the best way to help a friend or loved one as they manage a new diagnosis.

The producers of the winning videos get a share of $5,000 in prize money, with a $2000 cash prize for the first place winner. The video contest launched today at http://healthynewyear.challenge.gov and is open until February 16, 2012.

We Need Your Help to Promote this Video Contest (#HealthIT4U2012) and Many More in 2012

The Healthy New Year Video Challenge will be the first in a series of 2012 challenges. We’re going to be active on YouTube sharing patient and family testimonials about how the use of health information technology (health IT) is changing lives! We’ve already started collecting compelling stories that appear on HealthIT.gov, but we need more to motivate and inspire others to adopt and use technology to improve their health and to be better partners in their own care, along with doctors, nurses, and other health care providers.

We need the support of organizations of many kinds (consumer groups, media outlets, employers, local businesses, etc.) to help us promote each video contest both at the launch, to drive video submissions, and after the contest to help the winning videos go viral.

Starting in January through the summer, there will be a variety of different contest themes.  The first few include a focus on:

• Using health IT to maintain a healthy heart;
• Supporting the role of caregivers; and
• Managing health care dollars and time more wisely.

We invite you to share ideas or links to videos you saw in 2011 that inspired you, and to use the Twitter hashtag #HealthIT4U2012 to tweet about the challenge.  The challenges start in January and will run throughout 2012.  All video contests will be posted on www.Challenge.gov.