How the Roche Diabète Tech Hackathon Drives a New Approach to Diabetes Care

Diabetes management is a constant challenge for both patients and healthcare professionals. As the number of diabetes cases grows, so do the complications that come with the disease. Traditional approaches sometimes fall short, making it hard to keep up with patient needs and deliver the right support for every step of the patient journey. Recognizing these pressures, innovation is not just valuable—it's necessary.

Turning to unique solutions, Roche partnered with BeMyApp to organize a hackathon focused on improving diabetes care. By bringing together technology, creativity, and collaboration, they aimed to foster breakthroughs in both patient services and care coordination.

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The Growing Challenge of Diabetes Care

Every year, more people are diagnosed with diabetes, leading to an urgent need for better tools and smarter systems. The stakes are high: if patients don’t get the support and follow-up they need, complications can multiply.

Key complications from diabetes include:

  • Nerve damage and neuropathy
  • Cardiovascular problems
  • Vision loss and eye diseases
  • Kidney disease
  • Slow wound healing and increased infection risk

With so many risks, the need for continuous patient follow-up becomes clear. Modern diabetes care is not just about prescribing medication—it's about closely guiding patients through every stage of their journey, adjusting treatment and advice as their lives and needs change. This only happens if healthcare professionals can coordinate closely, sharing insights and expertise.

That means the core challenges are twofold: keep patients supported at all times, and help doctors and specialists work in true partnership. Solving these problems requires new ways of thinking and a willingness to test bold ideas.

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Thinking Outside the Box: Launching the Roche Diabète Tech Hackathon

"We have to think out of the box, we have to push boundaries and permit creativity."

To shake things up, Roche and BeMyApp decided to organize a hackathon dedicated to diabetes tech solutions. The idea was simple: bring together creative minds from across disciplines—technology, product design, healthcare—to focus on one goal: making life better for diabetes patients and those who care for them.

Starting a hackathon like this comes with doubts. What if creative sparks don’t fly? What if people don’t want to collaborate? Early workshops carried a sense of uncertainty, but the desire to find solutions won out. This mindset—accepting risk, encouraging new thinking, and allowing freedom to create—is what set this event apart.

The format itself borrowed from agile methods. Teams worked in short, focused sprints, each step building on the last. Every idea was tried, tested, and improved in real time, creating a loop of progress that didn’t stop when the timer ran out. This approach kept the energy high and the ideas flowing.

If you’re curious about organizing your own innovation event, take a look at this in-depth guide on how to organize a hackathon in 6 simple steps. It covers setting objectives, planning logistics, and keeping teams motivated—essentials for getting the most value from these events.

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Workshop Progress and Impact on Solutions

After the first two workshops, something changed. Early hesitancy faded, replaced by true engagement. Participants began to rethink not only the technology they were working on, but how they pitched their ideas, structured their teams, and solved problems together.

Key shifts observed during the hackathon included:

  • Wireframes: Early sketches became more sophisticated and user-focused, reflecting a deeper understanding of patient and provider needs.
  • Tools Developed: Teams moved beyond theoretical prototypes, creating digital tools designed for real-world integration and ease of use.
  • Pitch Approaches: Where initial presentations felt tentative, later pitches told a compelling story, selling not just a feature but a full solution.

This shift didn’t happen by accident. The hackathon’s open structure encouraged genuine collaboration, moving past individual ideas in favor of strong, shared solutions. Teams were empowered to discard what didn’t work and pivot rapidly. That meant failures weren’t dead ends—they were learning moments that led to stronger results.

Similar energy flows from hackathons worldwide. According to The complete guide to organizing a successful hackathon, this iterative, user-centric approach often yields truly practical technologies.

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Expertise and Network: Keys to Successful Hackathons

A great hackathon doesn’t just happen. It’s the result of careful planning, strong networks, and skilled event management. Organizers who know how to facilitate workshops, connect people, and keep teams focused on outcomes make all the difference.

Those running the Roche Diabète Tech Hackathon brought years of experience. Their network, spanning healthcare and technology, helped keep ideas alive long after the event ended. With the right crowd and the right mentors, participants gained confidence to pursue bold new strategies.

This model mirrors modern agile methods, favoring fast iteration over perfection and learning from failure over avoiding mistakes. It’s a powerful way to work.

Key benefits of this hackathon format:

  • Fosters rapid ideation and improvement
  • Supports open collaboration among diverse specialists
  • Makes room for safe failure and shared learning

The lessons here are valuable for anyone planning a similar event. If your organization wants to run an innovation event, it's smart to use an agency that can organize a hackathon, manage logistics, attract the right talent, and deliver results.

Observing and Embracing Failure as Part of Innovation

One of the most encouraging lessons from the Roche Diabète Tech Hackathon was seeing teams not just succeed, but sometimes fail. And that was okay. Failure here was a step forward, not a setback.

Each time a tool or idea didn’t work as hoped, teams regrouped and tried something else, building up resilience. This environment made it clear that successful innovation is a process, not a prize at the finish line. Every challenge and reroute became a chance to learn and refine better solutions.

In fact, hackathons are about much more than the end product—they are about growth mindsets, adaptability, and the courage to face challenges head-on. This is especially valuable in healthcare, where patient needs and technology are constantly changing.

How to Stay Connected and Follow Future Innovations

If you want to keep up with the creators, participants, and innovation stories from events like the Roche Diabète Tech Hackathon, there are several simple ways to stay in the loop:

Connect and engage with the BeMyApp community:

Following these channels lets you track the latest trends, learn about upcoming hackathons, and see firsthand how creative solutions are changing lives in healthcare and beyond.

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Conclusion

The Roche Diabète Tech Hackathon proved how powerful events like these can be for both patient support and professional growth. By combining creativity, practical tools, and a safe space for experimentation, new answers to diabetes care are not just possible—they’re inevitable.

If your organization is looking to improve patient outcomes or drive innovation in healthcare, consider partnering with experienced agencies who can help you organize a hackathon tailored to your unique needs. The real value comes from teamwork, open minds, and a willingness to try—and sometimes fail—on the way to true progress.

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