The GOS Hackathon
The GOS Hackathon is the capstone experience of our summit—a high-energy, collaborative "think tank" where the brightest minds in eye care and public health converge. This isn’t just a brainstorming session; it is a healthy competition designed to crowd-source real-world solutions for the most pressing inequities in global eye health.
2026 GOS Hackathon Prompt 1 of 2
Scenario:
The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is working to strengthen access to high-quality, equitable eye care across its member states, starting with a focus on six independent island nations with a combined population of approximately 700,000 people:
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Antigua and Barbuda
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Commonwealth of Dominica
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Grenada
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Saint Kitts and Nevis
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Saint Lucia
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Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Delivering comprehensive eye care in the Eastern Caribbean presents unique challenges. The population is geographically dispersed across multiple islands, specialist eye care professionals are limited, and healthcare resources vary by country. At the same time, these shared challenges create an opportunity to develop an innovative regional model that improves access, quality, efficiency, and sustainability through collaboration.
Challenge:
You are a member of an OECS regional planning task force charged with developing a Regional Eye Health Strategic Plan to provide comprehensive, accessible, and sustainable eye care across the six participating countries.
Your team will use the accompanying data on eye health, demographics, and economic indicators to develop a practical strategy that addresses the region's current and future eye care needs.
Considerations:
Your proposal should address the following questions:
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Given that air travel is the primary mode of transportation between islands, how should primary eye care, speciality care, and subspecialty services be distributed across the region?
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What workforce is needed to support this model? Consider ophthalmologists, optometrists, ophthalmic nurses, technicians, and other allied eye care professionals. How would these personnel be trained, recruited, and retained?
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What infrastructure, equipment, technology (e.g., teleophthalmology, AI), and other resources are required to support the proposed model?
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How should the regional eye care system be financed? What roles should national governments, regional organizations, healthcare providers, private partners, and philanthropic organizations play in funding and sustaining services?
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What governance structure would best support regional coordination while respecting the autonomy of each participating country?
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What key performance indicators and outcome measures would you track to evaluate the effectiveness, equity, quality, and sustainability of the strategy over time?
Teams are encouraged to think creatively while ensuring their recommendations are feasible, evidence-informed, financially sustainable, and tailored to the unique needs of the Eastern Caribbean.
2026 GOS Hackathon Prompt 2 of 2
Scenario:
Since its second year, the Global Ophthalmology Summit (GOS) Hackathon has brought together clinicians, trainees, researchers, engineers, entrepreneurs, and global health leaders to tackle complex challenges in eye care through rapid collaboration and creative thinking.
This year, the Hackathon enters an exciting new chapter. Rather than developing theoretical solutions, the GOS Hackathon is being redesigned to become a platform that launches and supports real-world global ophthalmology projects. Funding, mentorship, and organizational support now make it possible for ideas generated during the Hackathon to continue long after the Summit ends, creating meaningful and measurable impact around the world. To make this vision a reality, the Hackathon itself must evolve.
Challenge:
You are a member of the GOS Hackathon Redesign Task Force charged with reimagining the Hackathon as a sustainable innovation platform that transforms promising ideas into real-world global ophthalmology solutions. Your team will develop and present a practical, scalable, and financially sustainable approach that enables projects to be launched, implemented, and supported beyond the conference. Think boldly while ensuring your recommendations are feasible and designed to create lasting impact. The winning proposal will become the model for future GOS Hackathons, helping shape how collaborative innovation advances global eye care.
Considerations:
Your proposal should address the following questions:
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How should the Hackathon identify and select the real-world challenge it will tackle each year?
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What criteria should be used to determine whether a project is appropriate for the Hackathon?
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How should multidisciplinary teams be formed to maximize expertise, creativity, and collaboration?
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Since participants may come from different countries and institutions with no prior working relationship, how can teams remain engaged and productive throughout a year-long project?
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What governance, mentorship, and administrative support are needed to guide each project from concept to completion?
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What reporting structure, milestones, and accountability measures should be established to ensure projects remain on track?
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How should funding, partnerships, and external resources be secured and managed?
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What should happen when a project is highly successful and ready to scale? Conversely, how should the program respond if a project requires additional time, changes in direction, or is no longer feasible?
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What metrics should be used to evaluate project impact, sustainability, and the overall success of the Hackathon model?
How It Works
Attendees are organized into interdisciplinary teams, intentionally pairing seasoned global ophthalmology leaders with residents, medical students.
Over the course of the summit, teams will:
● Tackle the Challenge: Each team is assigned a "Case Study" based on a real-world scenario (past challenges have included designing financial proposals for new residency programs in Africa or creating cross-subsidy fee models for rural district hospitals).
● Innovate & Collaborate: Groups meet during dedicated "Hackathon Breaks" and lunch sessions to identify a specific gap, design a tech-enabled solution, and stress-test its sustainability and ethical impact.
● The Final Pitch: On the final day of the summit, the experience culminates in a live "Pitch Competition." Each team presents their solution to a panel of expert judges and their peers.
Why Participate?
The GOS Hackathon is more than a contest; it is a mentorship vehicle and a networking powerhouse.
● For Students & Residents: It offers an unparalleled opportunity to work side-by-side with experts in the field and have your ideas heard by the international community.
● For Professionals: It is a chance to apply your clinical and logistical expertise to new environments and to share your knowledge and experiences with the next generation of leaders.
● For the Mission: The winning "pitch" represents a potential blueprint for future global health interventions.
Join us in Philadelphia to hack the future of global eye care. Are you ready to pitch the next big breakthrough?
Get Inspired
See topics and winners from previous Hackathons:
Questions?
Contact us at gos@aao.org.
