Digital Health 2013: Innovating Partnerships for Better Care

With the kick-off of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week, digital health was found to play an increasingly prominent role. From panel discussions to product launches, there was a veritable feast for the eyes and ears. During his opening address for the 2013 CES Digital Health Summit, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, highlighted the work of the military’s pioneering use of digital health. A panel discussion with heavy hitters Arianna Huffington and Dr. Deepak Chopra followed to showcase devices for monitoring everything from sleep patterns to genetic sequences. And while it was encouraging to see 7-8 subsequent presentations with physician moderators and panelists, one still has to wonder if this venue is successfully aligning consumer, physician and a multitude of third parties through innovation?

In other words, during this – the second largest trade show in the U.S. – are these companies missing opportunities to conduct market research for physician and healthcare delivery ecosystem data needs and educate regarding future implementation of technology that would forge stronger relationships with their patients? Given that this target market is not typically found at the CES Digital Health Summit, why not take the discussion to them? As TEDMED discovered, streaming live presentations at participating academic facilities fosters engagement and collaboration. And like many others, physicians seek value in exchange for their time – so what better way to establish this critical component than by partnering for pilots to determine efficacy and validity of these trailblazing technologies?

Last but not least – with patient engagement topping the list of stage 2 meaningful use requirements, savvy hospital, healthcare system, ACO and medical home participants should seek opportunities to align with physicians interested in exploring ways in which to utilize one of these many forward thinking gadgets for better patient experiences.