Digital health needs to prove its impact to providers, or go the way of the buffalo

More than 9,000 people attended HLTH 2022 in Las Vegas in November, causing some in the industry to predict that the conference is edging out heavyweights like JP Morgan, CES, and HIMSS to be the “can’t-miss” event for health care stakeholders and investors. The real story of the conference was how few of those 9,000 (nearly triple the attendance of the inaugural conference in 2018) were providers of care – primary care physicians and other clinicians who, at the end of the day, dictate the success of a digital health solution through its adoption and use. They have arguably the most to add to conversations about the current landscape and future of digital health. In the crowded halls at HLTH, they were borderline absent. With the centerpiece of our health care system missing in action, attendees couldn’t help but be reminded of the extreme financial strain facing hospitals, as well as persisting issues of burnout and labor shortages.

Medigy Insights

Digital health solutions must focus on providing value to providers of care, such as through solutions like remote patient monitoring, which delivers care at home, captures data, and provides actionable insights to care teams. Companies in the digital health industry need to focus on demonstrating measurable return on investment and show how their tools improve patient outcomes.