Hackathons in Brazil and the challenges they pose to the field of health

The objective of this study was to map the carrying out of hacking marathons in Brazil, and the challenges they pose to the field of health. The expectation is that the description and presentation of the methodological aspects of the mapped events, along with information drawn from the literature, may help in the dissemination of the methodology and its application to the health sector. The mapping was exploratory and descriptive and was carried out through an internet search, using Google and the Virtual Health Library (BVS) database, covering the period between 2000 and 2016. The researchers identified 16 hackathons, all of which occurred after 2012, and which presented challenges and solutions to health. The results point to the potential of this methodology as a means of promoting creativity and innovation, based on collaborative work by teams of professionals from different areas for identifying timely solutions to the health field.

Keywords
Hackathon; Methodology; Health; Collaboration; Innovation in Health