The Consumerization of Health is Happening (Virtually) Everywhere

Mar 16, 2019

There was once a time where most providers would think twice before referring to patients as a customer or consumer of health. With the advent of information and technology transforming healthcare, that is all changing. Individuals are becoming more connected and more empowered to better manage their own health and wellness using the many digital health tools now available, including mobile apps, wearable trackers and remote monitoring devices. Tracking personal health milestones and progress with a smartphone is just one of many ways individuals can stay engaged with their health.

For the Personal Connected Health Alliance (PCHAlliance), a HIMSS Innovation Company, health and wellness extend beyond the traditional healthcare experience. During HIMSS19, we hosted the Consumerization of Health Symposium in Orlando. This full-day event explored how consumers, patients, healthcare providers, employers and others are leveraging digital solutions to help people #Connect2Health, manage chronic conditions, connect with their providers and caregivers, maintain wellness and even help to prevent disease.

Consumerization of Health Symposium Hot Topics

Learn more about the conversation from our consumerization of health event:

  • Health @Work: Direct contracts between employers and providers continue to increase, along with the expansion of technologies for employee engagement and cost control. Jennifer Sargent, MBA, CEO, Vera Whole Health, spoke about how these factors are influencing health promotion in the workplace.
  • Consumer Health Behaviors: Technology can play a major role in changing the health behavior and attitudes of consumers, patients and employees. We dove into how these changes are influenced through telehealth, wearables and more, and shared new insights to inform program design and implementation.
  • Virtual Visits: This session explored how savvy retail marketers and advertisers are attracting young, motivated, healthy consumers. We also highlighted an important and growing digital health tool, virtual visits.
  • Consumerization Cost, Quality and Payment: Healthcare transactions (like the front-end of retail transactions) have immense potential to influence care choices, adherence and overall cost of care. Industry thought leaders from New York University, JP Morgan and b.well Connected Health explored whether we can change the behavior of healthcare consumers with digital health tools.
  • Health Data Monetization: Health data ownership and monetization has become a central issue for consumers of health. During this session, attendees heard expert insights you need to become well-versed on new markets, technologies, opportunities and the accompanying societal issues arising today.
  • Aging Populations: Remaining vital, engaged and independent – healthy aging – is essential to maintaining good health through our later years. Attendees gained insights and learned new approaches to engaging older individuals in their health.
  • Prevention: Can we make preventative care ‘trendy’ for consumers? Stephen Mitchley, Chief Strategy Officer, Vitality Group, explored related business models and unique approaches to prevention.
  • Virtual/Augmented Reality: Immersive technologies such as virtual reality are proving to be excellent interventions for emotional or behavioral health conditions, including anxiety and PTSD. In this session, attendees heard about the latest evidence and trends, as well as the potential for these emerging technologies.
  • Human and Robot Interactions: How can robots and humans work together to accomplish goals in healthcare? This closing keynote session featured Joe Kvedar, MD, Partners Connected Health, and Ted Fischer, CEO and co-founder of Ageless Innovation, who explored the boundaries of health interactions between humans and robots.