The human body, tech companies and artificial intelligence all walk into a Las Vegas bar…
Last month, I had the privilege of exploring the future of human health and technology at the annual HLTH conference, set against the vibrant backdrop of Las Vegas. This premier gathering of over 12,000 attendees brings together the most innovative minds in digital health—from providers and payers to life sciences experts, regulators, and health advocates—for three dynamic days of presentations, panels, and collaboration (with perhaps a dash of blackjack). This year’s theme, “Be Bold,” resonated throughout each session, inspiring every corner of the conference.
The American healthcare system is undergoing an undeniable paradigm shift, one that’s reshaping both our health and the ways we receive care.
The sessions featured prominent leaders discussing transformative industry changes, strategies for tackling critical challenges, and the innovative companies pioneering new technologies to shape the future of healthcare.
Key issues, such as the consumerization of healthcare, the urgent shortage of healthcare workers amid rising demand, and the overall health of Americans—75% of whom are managing at least one chronic condition—are at the core of the solutions explored.
As expected, artificial intelligence (AI) dominated the conversations. Kimberly Powell, vice president, healthcare and life science at NVIDIA, demonstrated how AI agents could help patients navigate booking appointments and how digital twins of hospitals identified ways to optimize operations. Dr. Taha Kass-Hout, chief science and technology Officer at GE HealthCare, also discussed how AI can make sense of the trillions of healthcare data we collect daily.
In addition to stand-alone AI companies, many established firms are already integrating AI into their solutions, raising the question: at what point does digital health simply become… health? It’s a true paradigm shift.
Collaboration and Integration are Crucial
A key theme that stood out was the importance of collaboration among stakeholders in the healthcare space. Many leaders stressed that we cannot tackle these significant challenges without working together, integrating systems, and sharing essential insights.
Numerous companies were actively demonstrating this collaborative approach: NVIDIA partnered with Microsoft to support health and life sciences startups; Meta teamed up with the nonprofit Be My Eyes to develop Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses; and Blue Shield of California collaborated with Salesforce to build a new system from the ground up, aimed at expediting prior authorizations for physicians and addressing our “industry’s stubborn immunity to change.”
Tom Mihaljevic, M.D., CEO and President of the Cleveland Clinic, shared how he’s brought on a Chief AI Officer and a Chief Digital Officer to bridge the challenges of collaboration between digital companies and the healthcare system, as their operations are so fundamentally different.
With the rise of healthcare systems that both operationalize care and collect patient health data, patients increasingly expect seamless access to their data no matter where they are—a reflection of the recurring theme of the patient as a consumer. For companies, meeting this expectation means working with other organizations, including competitors, to serve patients effectively as consumers.
Design WITH….not for
Historically, healthcare has been designed for patients and groups rather than with them. I heard many examples of this shifting – again, driven by the consumerization of healthcare. Meta and Be My Eyes worked closely with low-sighted and zero-sighted groups to develop their Ray-Ban Smart Glasses, which are game changers for that population.
Bayer shared how they frequently gather feedback from their consumers to address the question, “How do we fit into our consumer’s life?”. For example, they found that women are 50% more likely to purchase Miralax. When they asked why, they uncovered a key insight: women are more likely to need Miralax because they experience higher levels of stress than men.
The Power of Artificial Intelligence
Generative AI entered the market just over 18 months ago, and the progress showcased this week was truly astounding. Powell stated, “Healthcare is the most important application of AI.” According to Dr. Mihaljevic, 25-35% of healthcare costs are administrative—and AI holds the potential to significantly reduce those expenses.
The three ways the Cleveland Clinic is using AI to provide better care for patients is with AI responses for patient questions – which, in a blind study, patients told them AI responses were more empathetic, informative and timely – enabling caregivers to type less with AI scribes (doctors spend 25% of their day typing), and using AI in their hospital application systems to optimize operations.
The core problem of supply and demand in healthcare is also an opportunity to reduce the burden on physicians and nurses, and to deploy AI to unleash the best healthcare worker – the patient. Dr. Daniel Yang, vice president, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies at Kaiser Permanente, shared that we need to empower patients to be the best advocates for themselves using AI.
Many physicians at the conference shared how they went to medical school to help patients, not to spend their time typing into a system. Kaiser Permanente is addressing that – the CEO shared how they implemented Ambient Scribe, an AI scribe solution, across 25,000 physicians. A surprising result? The physicians speaking out loud to the AI scribe increased communication with patients and gave the patients insight into what their physician was thinking – rather than sitting in silence, staring at their back while they typed the info.
Another application is the ability to leverage AI to synthesize data across modalities. In clinical trials, there are several data sets – the inclusion/exclusion data, the patient data, and test results. AI is being used to synthesize across all of those data sources to support clinical trial matching for patients.
But – AI can’t solve all the problems on its own. The important takeaway is that it’s the translation of AI into the workflow with humans. Words of caution were also shared – the importance of trust in the healthcare industry is still top of mind, and explainable AI is key to adoption. Trust is built through the demonstration of safety and effectiveness.
Technology enabling freedom
A final theme that emerged was how technology in healthcare is creating new freedoms for both healthcare workers and patients. AI is helping free up time for physicians and nurses, allowing them to spend more quality moments with patients. Meanwhile, patients are increasingly empowered by tools like continuous glucose monitors, which help them manage conditions like diabetes and enjoy greater freedom in their lives. Mental health, too, has shifted from a “nice to have” to a “must have,” with more employers offering mental health platforms to support employees in a system that often struggles with access.
One of my personal highlights was the focus on patients taking control of their health. The American healthcare system still primarily treats illness rather than focusing on prevention. As Dr. Casey Means, health advocate and co-founder of Levels, pointed out, 75% of Americans have at least one chronic disease that could be managed—or even cured—through lifestyle changes.
Will technology and AI empower us to take ownership of our health and provide us with the ultimate freedom? Only time will tell.
