This was the first year for the HLTH conference which attracted 3500+ attendees from 1500+ healthcare companies ranging from payers to providers to pharma to HlthTech-MedTech and investors. After 4-days of networking and an agenda jam-packed with rich content…what were the takeaways?
The attention-getting numbers tossed around were not only impressive, but signal things to come: 10 million DNA genetic testing consumers (a billion dollar industry segment); 300,000 health care apps; 492 Electronic Health Record vendors; 80 million Fitbit users; 1.5 million LYFT drivers providing 10 million rides/week; 3.6 million Americans missed medical appointments; and, 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart. The list goes on…and on!
Here are 10 quick takeaways from the HLTH inaugural:
- Social determinants of health taking center stage.
- Physician burnout is stressing delivery system.
- Overcoming Health Inertia to motivate patients.
- Beware HlthTech-MedTech 'solution fatigue'.
- Watch out for Walmart as a game changer.
- Government IS your healthcare business partner.
- On-demand economy integrates with healthcare.
- Purpose-driven innovation is alive & well…and disrupting.
- Acquisitions make news, but collaboration transforms.
- EHRs, genomics & wearables mean patients own their data.
At a minimum, the big hairy statistics, future think, digital everything, and predictions (OK, one AI expert said 80% of what a physician is doing today should be done by a machine), coming out of the HLTH conference will force attendees think about their own business in terms of market positioning, operating assumptions, strategic direction, and long-term, survivability.
One of HLTH’s objective was to start, grow and yes, monetize, a HLTH ‘community’ --- they seemed to have pulled off.