HLTH 2023 Conference Recap
Emerging trends, highlights and takeaways from the largest digital health conference
Over the course of four days, some of the brightest minds across the health ecosystem gathered in Las Vegas to discuss healthcare’s pressing issues and promising opportunities. The HLTH 2023 conference attracted over 10,000 attendees and featured close to 350 speakers. We spoke with OpenLoop’s Senior Director of Commercial, Bailey Hawn, to discuss highlights from the conference.
Hot topics from HLTH 2023
AI and shortages
By 2028 the Healthcare AI market is expected to reach over $102 billion, which will likely result in a multitude of AI focused solutions. So it was no surprise to Bailey Hawn that one of the major themes and heavily discussed topics during this year's HLTH conference circled around generative AI and its evolving role in healthcare.
“With AI the possibilities are essentially endless, especially when it comes to closing the care gap and making up for provider shortages. However, there is still a lot of unknown from a regulatory perspective.”
Hawn says he expects to see a lot of new legislation and regulations regarding AI in the coming months and into 2024. Nevertheless, AI is not just a trend but the direction healthcare is heading and this was made more evident than ever at HLTH 2023. Hawn also mentions that AI could be an essential part of solving the persistent shortage of healthcare workers and closing the care gap.
Weight management
Another unsurprising hot topic of HLTH 2023 was weight loss and weight management. Although there are many varying opinions on this specific segment of healthcare, Hawn believes that there is a lot of potential when it comes to weight loss and how it intersects with virtual care.
“Weight loss and weight management has a lot of promise in the digital space, especially as the industry continues to improve how patient care is being administered,”Hawn tells us.
He also mentions how there were discussions around incorporating elements such as RPM and nutrition counseling into the weight management space, which is exciting for companies like OpenLoop who can help support these relationships.
Captivating speakers and creating connections
Per usual, HLTH 2023 had a plethora of brillant speakers and experts in the healthcare field discussing top-of-mind issues. For Bailey Hawn, the speaker who stood out the most was celebrity and Co-founder of Beyond-1, Nick Jonas.
“It was neat to hear Nick Jonas' story and why he started Beyond-1. I personally don’t know a lot about the nuances of diabetes, so it was interesting to learn how much current technology has improved the patient experience.”
Hawn told us that it was also fascinating to hear about Beyond-1’s research and projected timeline on emerging technology that will continue to improve diabetes management and how Jonas’ organization is advocating for the ongoing care a diabete’s patient needs.
In addition to hearing Nick Jonas along with other industry leaders speak, Hawn also expressed that a lot of his time at HLTH was spent connecting with other conference goers. Conferences like HLTH are prime opportunities to forge meaningful connections, Hawn tells us. Especially working in a highly digital environment, being able to meet clients and partners in person helped put faces to names and foster personal relationships that go beyond just business.
The future of digital health
Finally, we asked Hawn what the future of digital health might look like heading into 2024, based on discussions from HLTH 2023.
“Diagnostic testing and at-home tests for niche areas will for sure continue to be a big discussion point in 2024, especially as more and more at-home tests are being approved. We will likely see a lot of innovation in this area and unique testing models pop-up throughout 2024.”
Hawn is excited to see OpenLoop play an integral part in supporting these innovative technologies as we move into the new year. As always, walking away from a conference like HLTH, our OpenLoop team came away with lots of new ideas and excitement for the future.
Planning your 2024 conferences? Come see us at ViVE 2024 in Los Angeles (February 25 - 28)!