While the b.well team navigated the intersection of artificial intelligence, tech-quity (health equity), and consumer-centered interoperability at HLTH 2024, it’s clear that the healthcare landscape is on the brink of significant transformation. The conference was packed with insights and inspiring moments, ranging from panel discussions to new product announcements, each showcasing the growing need for healthcare to adapt to the latest technological advancements and evolving policies.
The ideas exchanged and connections made at HLTH 2024 serve as a powerful reminder that, while challenges remain, the collective vision for a more accessible and equitable healthcare system is within reach.
Major Trends Shaping the Industry & Key Takeaways from HLTH 2024:
1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare
The role of AI in healthcare was a hot topic, with discussions centered around its potential to revolutionize patient care. Some main insights:
- AI tools are increasingly being used to assist clinicians in making faster and more accurate diagnoses. By analyzing patterns in imaging studies, lab results, and patient histories, AI can provide early warnings for conditions like cancer or heart disease, significantly improving patient outcomes.
- One of the greatest challenges in AI healthcare applications is the risk of bias. Datasets often lack diversity, leading to algorithms that may not accurately represent underrepresented populations. Increasing diversity in datasets and continuously testing algorithms for fairness is essential to ensure that AI benefits all patients equally.
- While AI can analyze vast amounts of data and provide recommendations, it is crucial that clinicians remain at the forefront of decision-making. AI should serve to enhance clinical judgment, freeing up time for human interaction, which reinforces the importance of empathy and trust in patient care.
2. Consumer Health on the Rise
This year’s event saw major players like Samsung, WeightWatchers, and Amazon Web Services expanding their roles in healthcare, with a noticeable focus on empowering consumers. As industry giants continue to bridge the gap between personal health management and digital access, it’s clear that consumer-centric healthcare is becoming a primary driver in health tech innovation.
3. Tech-quity and Health Equity
HLTH 2024 placed a spotlight on tech-quity, the drive to ensure healthcare access and equity for all. From providing underserved communities with healthcare resources to safeguarding patient rights, equity was a recurring theme, championed in conversations led by voices across the healthcare sector. Industry leaders expressed how the healthcare system has far to go in making equitable care a reality, emphasizing that innovation must include all individuals for impactful outcomes.
4. The Future of Interoperability
Interoperability remained a central topic, with discussions predicting a wave of mergers, closures, and advancements over the next six months. The continued push for seamless data exchange between platforms hints at a future where health information flows without barriers, empowering consumers and reducing administrative burdens across the healthcare ecosystem.
Samsung Presents & Launches Vision for Connected Health at HLTH 2024
In a standout presentation, Samsung Electronics America’s Head of Digital Health, Ricky Choi, laid out Samsung’s bold strategy to create a connected health experience that integrates seamlessly into consumers’ lives. Addressing the fragmented nature of the healthcare system, “There is a simpler way, and it begins with empowering the consumer,” Choi asserted, emphasizing Samsung’s mission to build a seamless ecosystem of connected devices, services, and individuals, using the home as the foundation of the health journey, centered around the consumer.
Samsung’s reimagined app, powered by b.well, now enables users to download health records directly to their phones, offering a single, accessible source of medical information regardless of care provider. Additional new features, such as medication reminders and data-sharing options with family members, further Samsung’s commitment to supporting health goals through proactive, accessible tools.
Samsung’s approach builds on its extensive reach in consumer technology, particularly through the Samsung Health app, which supports over 64 million monthly users. This app addresses core areas of health such as diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management, while integrating Samsung’s advanced sensing capabilities in wearables. This empowers users to take charge of their health journey. Choi reinstated Samsung’s commitment to expanding its digital health ecosystem through partnerships, inviting other innovators to collaborate in achieving the shared mission of improving global health outcomes.
NCQA & b.well Connected Health Partnership Announcement
At HLTH 2024, b.well Connected Health introduced a partnership with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), integrating NCQA’s Digital Content Services (DCS) into b.well’s platform. This integration enables digitized HEDIS (Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set) quality measures to be delivered directly to consumers, a first in healthcare’s pursuit of real-time, patient-centered quality improvements.
For b.well’s users, this means access to personalized care recommendations informed by NCQA’s rigorous quality metrics, helping them navigate potential health needs before they become critical gaps. As Kristen Valdes, b.well’s Founder and CEO, explained, “Integrating NCQA’s DCS not only reduces administrative burdens and costs for our clients but actively engages consumers in closing their own care gaps. It’s about turning data into actionable insights that patients can use, empowering them in real-time to make health decisions that align with quality care standards.”
By embedding NCQA’s trusted quality measures within the b.well ecosystem, this partnership aims to revolutionize preventive care and boost overall health outcomes. With this collaboration, b.well continues to focus on creating a proactive, personalized healthcare experience at scale, reinforcing its commitment to fostering both transparency and quality for users nationwide.
Health Tech Talk Show Live
In a live episode of The Health Tech Talk Show, Kristen Valdes shared the mic with healthcare thought leaders Kat McDavitt, Lisa Bari, and Matt Holt. This conversation explored the urgent need for consumer access to personal health data, with Valdes emphasizing that true empowerment starts by connecting providers, payers, and patients within a unified ecosystem. The aim? To simplify access and elevate engagement for consumers, giving them control over their healthcare journey.
Kristen’s message was clear: access to health data empowers individuals to make informed choices and fosters a collaborative environment where patients are active participants in their care. “When you give consumers the control to access their own health information, you not only empower them to make informed choices but also begin to unlock a truly collaborative healthcare experience,” she stated, underscoring the shared vision of the panelists to build a transparent, patient-centered healthcare model.
Perspectives Ahead of HLTH 2024
As b.well prepared for HLTH 2024, our team brought fresh perspectives set to shape discussions on pivotal issues facing the industry. Our industry experts explored how access and collaboration are essential to overcoming healthcare’s most pressing challenges, from improving patient access to data and services to rethinking partnership dynamics.
In her recent piece, Healthcare Access and the Path to Better Outcomes: What b.well’s COO, Sarah Jones is Bringing to HLTH, Sarah Jones, Chief Outcomes Officer at b.well Connected Health, reflects on her own healthcare experience. As a healthcare professional, Sarah was stunned to encounter the disconnect in accessing her own records when visiting a new primary care provider, a situation all too familiar to patients. Sarah’s firsthand experience reinforces the urgency of b.well’s mission: breaking down data silos to enable seamless access to information for both patients and providers. She argues that improving access goes beyond appointment availability—it’s about making critical health data accessible, timely, and meaningful for everyone involved.
In What Coopetition Means for Healthcare According to Andy from b.well, Andy Harlen, SVP of Partnerships, shares his views on how strategic partnerships are essential to solving healthcare’s fragmentation challenges. For Andy, “coopetition”—the blend of cooperation and competition—is vital for breaking down the silos that often impede seamless care experiences. He highlights b.well’s partnerships with AWS and CLEAR as prime examples, showcasing how combining strengths with industry leaders can create more accessible, interoperable healthcare. The importance of aligning with other organizations, even competitors, to bring greater value to healthcare consumers through advanced data management and secure identity verification solutions cannot be overstated.
Embracing Change in Healthcare at HLTH 2024
As we reflect on our time at HLTH 2024, it’s clear that the future of healthcare is bright and full of potential. This year’s event was a testament to the transformative forces at play, particularly around consumer empowerment, AI, tech-quity, and interoperability. Industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers must work in tandem to address these challenges and drive the industry forward.
At b.well, we are more committed than ever to fostering a healthcare environment that places consumers at the center. Our partnership with NCQA demonstrates our commitment to interoperability. Samsung’s groundbreaking announcement of its latest app features, powered by b.well, highlights our dedication to integrating technology in ways that enhance patient experiences and improve health outcomes.
Together, we can build a healthcare system that is efficient, accessible, and ready for the future—one that empowers individuals and nurtures a collaborative, patient-centered ecosystem. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue this journey forward together!
