Notice2026-10068
Announcement of Requirements and Registration for “EHIgnite Challenge”
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Published
May 20, 2026
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services Department
Abstract
The EHIgnite Challenge addresses data usability challenges in single patient electronic health information (EHI) exports. This challenge seeks to incentivize the development of tools, platforms, and workflows that transform single patient EHI exports into usable, readable, and actionable information that supports clinical care, patient engagement, and informed decision-making.
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 97 (Wednesday, May 20, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 97 (Wednesday, May 20, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29500-29503]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-10068]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Announcement of Requirements and Registration for ``EHIgnite
Challenge''
AGENCY: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information
Technology, Department of Health and Human Services.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The EHIgnite Challenge addresses data usability challenges in
single patient electronic health information (EHI) exports. This
challenge seeks to incentivize the development of tools, platforms, and
workflows that transform single patient EHI exports into usable,
readable, and actionable information that supports clinical care,
patient engagement, and informed decision-making.
DATES: This challenge includes two phases. Only the participants
selected to receive a Phase 1 prize may participate in Phase 2.
<bullet> Phase 1: Concept & Design
Submission period begins: February 23, 2026, 10:00 a.m. EST.
Submission period ends: May 20, 2026, 11:59 p.m. PST.
Phase 1 Announcement of Winners: June 2026.
<bullet> Phase 2: Prototype Development
Submission period begins: June 23, 2026, 10:00 a.m. EST.
Submission period ends: March 24, 2027, 11:59 p.m. PST.
Phase 2 Announcement of Winners: May 2027.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Adam Wong, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f79693969ad980989990b79f9f84d9909881"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7f1e1b1e1251081011183f17170c51181009">[email protected]</span></a>
(preferred), 202-664-4396.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Award Approving Official
Dr. Thomas Keane, National Coordinator for Health Information
Technology.
Subject of Challenge
The EHIgnite Challenge, a program managed by the Office of the
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), addresses
data usability challenges in single patient electronic health
information (EHI) exports. This challenge seeks to incentivize the
development of tools, platforms, and workflows that transform single
patient EHI exports into usable, readable, and actionable information
that supports clinical care, patient engagement, and informed decision-
making.
While health IT developers of a certified Health IT Module that is
part of a health IT product that electronically stores EHI (``health IT
developers of certified health IT'') are required to provide EHI export
functionality, variability in implementation and the sheer volume of
data have made these exports difficult for clinicians and patients to
effectively use. Although the ONC Health IT Certification Program
specifies functional requirements as part of the certification criteria
at 45 CFR 170.315(b)(10), it does not mandate specific transport
methods, data standards, or implementation strategies. The EHI export
file required for Health IT Modules certified to that criterion must be
in an electronic and computable format and accessible via hyperlink.
These requirements are designed to offer health IT developers of
certified health IT flexibility in their approach to conformance with
the certification criterion and to foster innovation, transparency, and
best practices for data sharing. While beneficial for innovation, this
has created inconsistencies in how exports are structured, formatted,
and made accessible. Clinicians, patients, and other stakeholders have
reported that EHI exports are often overwhelming, difficult to
interpret, and challenging to integrate into existing workflows.
These challenges limit the ability of healthcare teams to provide
seamless care, particularly in care transitions (e.g., hospital to
rehab), or for patients seeking to manage their own health data.
Moreover, current tools do not consistently support critical use cases
such as summarizing information for care teams, integrating multiple
sources of patient data, or providing patient-facing interactive tools.
EHIgnite Challenge participants are asked to develop solutions that
leverage single patient EHI exports to improve data usability and
value. To incentivize wide adoption, submissions are encouraged to make
use of standards adopted as part of the ONC Health IT Certification
Program. Such standards could include FHIR Release 4, US Core
Implementation Guide v6, and SMART App Launch Framework 2.0.
Submissions must create a usable, readable summary of relevant
health information based on the user and/or a particular scenario. For
example, if a patient is being transferred to a rehab or acute care
facility after a complex surgery, what information does the place of
care and care team need to know to provide the best possible care to
this patient? If an individual is moving out of state, what information
does their new primary care provider need before their first visit?
Submissions must additionally address at least one of the following
five scenarios:
1. Interactive Patient Tools: Enable patients to ask questions
about their health data and receive understandable responses.
Participants can assess an EHI export and make an interactive tool that
allows patients to ask questions about their own health and care
instructions. For example, if I am a patient, can I use a chatbot to
review my own EHI and help me understand post-surgical instructions, or
my provider notes to help modify diet or other behaviors?
[[Page 29501]]
2. Customization for Clinical Domains: Build tools that allow
customized queries and organizing exports by relevant domains.
3. Integration Across Settings: Create a solution that makes EHI
exports more consumable and allows for integration of EHI exports from
multiple places of care. For example, create a solution that allows
patients to import their EHI export(s) across settings into a third-
party application which enables searching, parsing, filtering, and
viewing.
4. Streamlined Payer Use Cases: Create a solution that allows for
easier and more streamlined sharing of information for insurance
coverage using payer APIs. For example, create a solution that
processes and incorporates the USCDI data elements contained in the
Health Insurance Information data class that enhances data sharing for
prior authorization.
5. Participant-Defined Use Case: Participants may propose a unique
solution that leverages single patient EHI exports to improve data
usability and value in a different manner than the outlined scenarios.
This option allows teams to identify a critical challenge or
opportunity not already specified, and to design a tool, application,
or workflow addressing that challenge or opportunity.
Use of AI is encouraged but must be transparent, explainable, and
compliant with all applicable civil rights and privacy and security
laws and policies.
Background
As defined in 45 CFR 170.102, EHI (electronic health information)
includes individually identifiable health information that is stored or
transmitted electronically and would be included in a designated record
set, but excludes psychotherapy notes and certain other information as
specified in regulation. Health IT developers of certified Health IT
are required to support two use cases as set forth in 45 CFR
170.315(b)(10):
Single Patient EHI Export:
--Export EHI for a single patient at any time the user (or user's
representative) chooses without Developer assistance
--The export must be created in a timely fashion
--Must include all EHI for a single patient
--Must be electronic and in a computable format
--Must include a publicly accessible hyperlink of the export's format
--Certified Health IT Module must be able to limit users who can
perform an EHI export
Patient Population EHI Export:
--Must include all EHI for a patient population
--Must be electronic and in a computable format
--Must include a publicly accessible hyperlink of the export's format
Judging
Phase 1 (Concept and Design) Judging Criteria
Relevance and Problem Alignment (Up to 25 pts)
<bullet> How effectively does the solution address the usability
challenges, including summarization, of single patient EHI exports?
<bullet> Does it clearly solve a real-world problem for patients,
clinicians, or care teams in line with the scenarios identified
(patient interaction, clinical domain queries, integration across EHRs,
or streamlined payer use)?
Interpretability and Ease of Use (Up to 40 pts)
<bullet> Novelty of the approach to making EHI data actionable,
readable, and interpretable.
<bullet> Use of user-centered design principles to create intuitive
tools or interfaces.
<bullet> Ease of use for intended end users, including patients,
clinicians, and care teams.
<bullet> Creative approaches to summarization, integration, or
interaction with EHI data.
<bullet> Potential to improve care coordination, patient
engagement, or clinical decision-making.
Potential for Integration and Scaling (Up to 20 pts)
<bullet> Practicality of implementation and ability to integrate
into existing clinical workflows.
<bullet> Use of consensus-based standards, such as those adopted by
ONC, to enhance implementation and adoption.
<bullet> Scalability to multiple patients, providers, and EHR
systems.
<bullet> Interoperability across multiple EHR systems.
Privacy and Security Compliance (Up to 15 pts)
<bullet> Adherence to the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) rule, Privacy, Security, and Breach
Notification Rules (45 CFR parts 160 and 164), and other applicable
privacy, security, and consent laws is required.
<bullet> Effectiveness and innovation in enabling users to
customize data sharing settings when sharing data and information with
others.
Use of AI (Phase 1: Optional, Up to 20 Bonus pts; Phase 2: Award for
Most Innovative Use of AI)
<bullet> Use of transparent, explainable AI or other advanced
methods in compliance with privacy standards and civil rights laws.
Phase 2 (Prototype Development) Judging Criteria
Phase 2 judging criteria will reflect the Phase 1 judging criteria,
adapted for judging of Phase 2 submissions.
How To Enter
To enter this Challenge, participants must:
(1) register by completing the ``Challenge Registration Form''
found on the challenge website at <a href="https://ehignitechallenge.org/phase-1-challenge-registration/">https://ehignitechallenge.org/phase-1-challenge-registration/</a>; and
(2) submit your Challenge submission on the challenge website,
<a href="https://ehignitechallenge.org/">https://ehignitechallenge.org/</a>. Once the participant has registered
using the ``Challenge Registration Form'' and is logged in on the
website, the submission link becomes available.
Additional Information Regarding Registration
Registration is required to be eligible to win a cash prize. When
you register using the ``Challenge Registration Form,'' you will need
to decide whether you are registering as:
(1) an individual (on behalf of yourself);
(2) a team (on behalf of a group of individuals competing together,
but not on behalf of an established organization, institution, or
corporation). If registering as a team, each participating Team is
required to designate an eligible Team Leader who will register and
submit on behalf of the Team members. The Team Leader is responsible
for all communications with HHS; or
(3) an entity (on behalf of a legally established organization,
institution, or corporation).
Your decision to register as an individual, team, or entity on the
``Challenge Registration Form'' will determine who HHS pays any winning
prize money from this Challenge. Please see ``Prize Payment Rules'' in
the ``Rules'' section. Before registering, you may wish to consider any
potential tax consequences of registering as an individual, team, or
entity.
HHS reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to grant or deny
any request to update registration information on the ``Challenge
Registration Form.''
[[Page 29502]]
Additional Information Regarding Submissions
Phase 1 Submission Requirements
The following components are requirements for a complete submission
package:
<bullet> Submission Entry Name
<bullet> Submission Team Name
<bullet> Team Lead Name and Email Address--should match registration
email address
<bullet> Submission Description--no more than 1,000 characters
<bullet> Submission Narrative--uploaded as a PDF to
<a href="http://EHignitechallenge.org">EHignitechallenge.org</a>
The Submission Narrative must include the following sections:
1. Description of Solution and Problem Addressed: Describe the
solution and how it addresses challenges in single patient EHI exports
through the specified use cases, including usability, readability,
integration, or patient/clinician engagement.
2. Description of Submitting Individual, Team, or Entity: Provide
background on the submitter(s), relevant experience, and any
interdisciplinary or community engagement (e.g., collaboration with
clinicians, patients, UX designers, or health IT experts).
3. Wireframe/Mockups: Visual elements of the solution including
screen views, workflows, and UX/UI assets.
4. Technical Feasibility and Scalability: Describe how the solution
can be implemented, integrated into workflows, and scaled across
multiple EHRs or care settings.
5. Innovation: Highlight the novelty of the approach, creative
problem-solving, or unique use of technology to make EHI data
actionable.
6. Potential Impact: Explain how the solution improves usability
for patients, clinicians, or care teams, and the potential benefits in
real-world settings.
The sections of the Submission Narrative (above) must address the
following questions/statements:
Relevance and Problem Alignment
<bullet> How effectively does the solution address the usability
challenges, including summarization, of single patient EHI exports?
<bullet> Does it clearly solve a real-world problem for patients,
clinicians, or care teams in line with the scenarios identified
(patient interaction, clinical domain queries, integration across EHRs,
or streamlined payer use)?
Interpretability and Ease of Use
<bullet> Novelty of the approach to making EHI data actionable,
readable, and interpretable.
<bullet> Use of user-centered design principles to create intuitive
tools or interfaces.
<bullet> Ease of use for intended end users, including patients,
clinicians, and care teams.
<bullet> Creative approaches to summarization, integration, or
interaction with EHI data.
<bullet> Potential to improve care coordination, patient
engagement, or clinical decision-making.
Potential for Integration and Scaling
<bullet> Practicality of implementation and ability to integrate
into existing clinical workflows.
<bullet> Use of consensus-based standards, such as those adopted by
ONC to enhance implementation and adoption.
<bullet> Scalability to multiple patients, providers, and EHR
systems.
<bullet> Interoperability across multiple EHR systems.
Privacy and Security Compliance
<bullet> Adherence to the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) rule, Privacy, Security, and Breach
Notification Rules (45 CFR parts 160 and 164),and other applicable
privacy, security, and consent laws is required.
<bullet> Effectiveness and innovation in enabling users to
customize data sharing settings when sharing data and information with
others.
Use of AI (Phase 1: Optional, Up to 20 Bonus pts; Phase 2: Award for
Most Innovative Use of AI)
<bullet> Use of transparent, explainable AI or other advanced
methods in compliance with privacy standards and civil rights laws.
The Submission Narrative must be:
<bullet> In PDF format;
<bullet> No longer than 10 pages with one-inch margins;
<bullet> In Calibri font, 11-point or larger;
<bullet> In English.
<bullet> Participants may not use HHS, ONC, or other federal logos
or imply federal endorsement.
The registration form must be submitted, and the complete
submission package uploaded by the Phase 1 submission deadline.
Phase 2 Submission Requirements
Details on the Phase 2 Submission package will be communicated
after Phase 1, but will involve the following elements:
<bullet> Working prototype.
<bullet> Technical documentation.
<bullet> Demonstration video (5-10 minutes).
<bullet> Usability test results, if available.
<bullet> Optional: evidence of performance with exports from
multiple EHR systems.
Prizes
Total Cash Prizes--$490,000
Cash Prize Breakdown
For Phase 1, HHS may select up to 9 submissions to each receive up
to $10,000.
For Phase 2, HHS may select submissions to receive:
First place: $250,000
Second place: $100,000
Third place: $30,000
Most Innovative Use of AI: $20,000
HHS Prize Funds
HHS may award up to a total cash prize pool of $490,000 to the
Challenge winners, to be paid by the program contractor.
Use of Cash Prizes
Cash prizes (not grants or contracts) may be awarded under this
Challenge announcement. HHS does not limit how winners may use prize
money awarded to them. Therefore, winners may use prize money from one
phase of this Challenge toward submissions for future phases, but they
are not required to do so.
Challenge Rules
Eligibility Rules
(1) To be eligible to win a prize under this Challenge, a
Participant (whether an individual, team, or entity)--
a. Shall have registered to participate in the Challenge as an
individual, team, or entity under the rules and instructions
promulgated by HHS as published in this announcement, including but not
limited to, the ``Prize Payment Rules'' and the ``How to Enter''
section of this announcement.
b. Shall have complied with all the requirements set forth in this
announcement;
c. In the case of a private entity, shall be incorporated in and
maintain a primary place of business in the United States, and in the
case of an individual, whether participating singly or in a group
(team), shall be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States;
d. Shall not be a Federal entity or Federal employee acting within
the scope of their employment;
e. Shall not be an employee of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS, or any other component
[[Page 29503]]
of HHS) acting in their personal capacity;
f. Who is employed by a Federal agency or entity other than HHS (or
any component of HHS), shall consult with an agency Ethics Official to
determine whether the Federal ethics rules will limit or prohibit the
acceptance of a prize under this Challenge;
g. Shall not be a judge of the Challenge, or any other party
involved with the design, production, execution, or distribution of the
Challenge or the immediate family of such a party (i.e., spouse,
parent, step-parent, child, or step-child).
h. Shall be 18 years of age or older at the time of submission.
Participation Rules
(1) Participants (whether individuals, teams, or entities) may not
use Federal funds from a grant award or cooperative agreement to
develop their Challenge submissions or to fund efforts in support of
their Challenge submissions.
(2) Federal contractors may not use Federal funds from a contract
to develop Challenge submissions or to fund efforts in support of
Challenge submissions. Costs associated with such activities are
unallowable and are not allocable to Government contracts.
(3) By participating in this Challenge, each Participant (whether
an individual, team, or entity) agrees to assume any and all risks and
waive claims against the Federal government and its related entities,
except in the case of willful misconduct, for any injury, death,
damage, or loss of property, revenue, or profits, whether direct,
indirect, or consequential, arising from participation in this
Challenge, whether the injury, death, damage, or loss arises through
negligence or otherwise.
(4) Based on the subject matter of the Challenge, the type of
activities that it will possibly involve, as well as an analysis of the
likelihood of any claims for death, bodily injury, property damage, or
loss potentially resulting from Challenge participation, no Participant
(whether an individual, team, or entity) participating in the Challenge
is required to obtain liability insurance, or demonstrate financial
responsibility, or agree to indemnify the Federal government against
third party claims for damages arising from or related to Challenge
activities in order to participate in this Challenge.
(5) A Participant (whether an individual, team, or entity) shall
not be deemed ineligible because the Participant used Federal
facilities or consulted with Federal employees during the Challenge if
the facilities and employees are made available to all Participants
participating in the Challenge on an equitable basis.
(6) By participating in this Challenge, each Participant (whether
an individual, team, or entity) warrants that they are the sole author
or owner of, or has the right to use, any copyrightable works that the
submission comprises, that the works are wholly original with the
Participant (or is an improved version of an existing work that the
Participant has sufficient rights to use and improve), and that the
submission does not infringe any copyright or any other rights of any
third party of which the Participant is aware.
(7) By participating in this Challenge, each Participant (whether
an individual, team, or entity) grants to HHS an irrevocable, paid-up,
royalty-free nonexclusive worldwide license to reproduce, publish,
post, link to, share, and display publicly the submission on the web or
elsewhere, and a nonexclusive, nontransferable, irrevocable, paid-up
license to practice, or have practiced for or on its behalf, the
solution throughout the world. Each Participant will retain all other
intellectual property rights in their submissions, as applicable. By
participating in this Challenge, each Participant warrants that there
are no legal obstacles to providing the above-referenced nonexclusive
licenses of the Participant's rights to the Federal government. To
receive an award, Participants will not be required to transfer their
intellectual property rights to HHS, but Participants must grant to the
Federal government the nonexclusive licenses recited herein.
(8) Each Participant (whether an individual, team, or entity)
agrees to follow all applicable Federal, state, and local laws,
regulations, and policies.
(9) Each Participant (whether an individual, team, or entity)
participating in this Challenge must comply with all rules and
requirements included in this announcement, and participation in this
Challenge constitutes each Participant's full and unconditional
agreement to abide by the rules and requirements. Winning is contingent
upon fulfilling all requirements herein.
(10) As a condition for receiving a cash prize in this Challenge,
each Participant (whether an individual, team, or entity) that has been
selected as a winner must complete and submit all required winner
verification and payment documents to HHS. Failure to return all
required verification and payment documents by the date specified in
the formal winner notification may be a basis for disqualification of a
cash prize winning submission.
(11) By participating in this Challenge, each Participant (whether
an individual, team, or entity) agrees that HHS may disqualify its
submission if, in HHS' judgment, the submission is inconsistent with
HHS' public health mission, may be ineffective or harmful, or any other
reason deemed necessary.
Prize Payment Rules
(1) For each eligible Participant under the ``Eligibility Rules,''
HHS will use that Participant's registration as an individual, team, or
entity on the ``Challenge Registration Form'' to determine who receives
payment of any HHS prize money.
(a) For an eligible winning Participant registered as an
individual, HHS will pay the individual.
(b) For a winning Participant registered as a team with an eligible
Team Leader, HHS will pay the entire prize for that team to the Team
Leader, and division of the prize money is at the discretion of the
Team Leader. HHS will not arbitrate, intervene, advise on, or resolve
any matters among team members.
(c) For an eligible winning Participant registered as an entity,
HHS will pay the entity.
(2) Entities participating in this Challenge are encouraged, but
not required, to request and obtain a free Unique Entity ID (UEI), if
they have not already done so, via <a href="http://SAM.gov">SAM.gov</a> as this may expedite prize
payment. Additional information can be found at <a href="https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration">https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration</a>.
Other Rules
HHS reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to (a) cancel,
suspend, or modify the Challenge, or any part of it, for any reason,
and/or (b) not award any prizes if no submissions are deemed worthy.
Legal Authority
This Challenge is authorized by the America Creating Opportunities
to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and
Science (COMPETES) Reauthorization Act of 2010, as amended (15 U.S.C.
3719).
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 3719.
Dated: May 15, 2026.
Thomas Keane,
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
[FR Doc. 2026-10068 Filed 5-18-26; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-28-P
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