HLTH 2024 brought together some of the brightest minds in healthcare, offering a glimpse into the trends and innovations that will shape the industry in the coming years. From the urgent need for sustainable practices (climate change impacts healthcare, too!) to advancements in primary care and the evolving landscape of reproductive health, the conference was filled with insights driving the healthcare sector forward. As always, I leave feeling inspired and hopeful, yet acknowledge how much work there is to do.
Here are the top themes that stood out:
1. Primary Care Transformation: Retail Healthcare is Here to Stay
Dr. Sree Chaguturu from CVS Health talked about the importance of primary and preventive care, highlighting how CVS is attempting to redefine the landscape. MinuteClinics has expanded to not only cover preventive and chronic disease management but is also venturing into primary care. Their intent is not to build a hospital setting of care but to focus on areas like population health. Part of that includes their investment in Epic—they are the largest install in the world with the number of their patient records.
With over 200 Oak Street Health clinics focused on complex chronic care, CVS is demonstrating that retail health is more than a trend with questionable success. Per Dr. Chaguturu, it’s a crucial evolution in making healthcare more accessible. While other retail giants have scaled back or pulled out, CVS is making positive impacts.
- Stat of Note: Utilization of retail healthcare services has surged by 200% over the past five years, showing apparent consumer demand.
- Takeaway: As more healthcare shifts to community-based settings, it’s clear that integrating retail health into the broader care continuum will play a pivotal role in enhancing accessibility and outcomes. However, it will be critical to ensure cohesive, integrated care delivery across all avenues of care.
2. Environmental Impact: The Intersection of Healthcare and Sustainability
One of the most interesting sessions I attended was about the healthcare industry’s environmental footprint. The session had a powerful image of a mother pushing a baby stroller on the ‘orange sky day,’ illuminating climate change is here. On that day of wildfire smoke, the air quality index was more than 200. Wildfire smoke exposure – even just one day – can lead to pre-term birth. Wildfire smoke and extreme heat are having impacts on our health that we are just starting to understand, and pregnant women, children, and senior citizens are the most vulnerable.
The session also discussed how the US healthcare system alone is responsible for 25% of global healthcare emissions despite serving only 4% of the world’s population (!!). This disconnect underscores the urgent need for the sector to embrace more sustainable practices. From reducing food and medical waste to addressing the energy demands of AI technologies, it’s clear that the path forward requires a balance between innovation and sustainability.
- Stat of Note: Average hospitals waste up to 62% of their food, generating 29-42 pounds of waste per patient bed per day. How do we right-size that waste and even redirect it to underserved communities who struggle to put food on the table?
- Takeaway: As climate change increasingly impacts health outcomes, healthcare organizations must lead by example in reducing their environmental impact. A sustainable healthcare system isn’t just good for the planet — it’s essential for the well-being of patients.
3. Technology’s Role: Leveraging Innovation to Improve Care
Technology continues to be a game-changer in healthcare, and this year’s conference highlighted just how integral it has become. Technology enables more effective and efficient healthcare delivery, from wearable technology that monitors worker safety to AI that personalizes patient care. For example, CVS uses integrated pharmacy services and data analytics to improve medication adherence and patient outcomes. Together.Health is accelerating the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, while emphasizing the importance of responsible energy consumption in AI development.
- Stat of Note: MinuteClinics®, equipped with advanced EHR systems, hold the most significant single installation of patient records globally, underscoring the importance of tech-driven efficiency.
- Takeaway: When applied thoughtfully, technology has the power to transform patient care and operational efficiency. The key is ensuring these innovations are sustainable and equitable.
4. Reproductive Rights: A Shift Toward More Equitable Care
While reproductive rights are often a sensitive topic, this year’s HLTH conference addressed it from a broad perspective. Many sessions highlighted the disparities in access to reproductive care, calling out how one’s location can drastically impact the type of care available. One session talked about how all of the political dialogue around this topic has led to SO much confusion – especially among those living in states that now have abortion bans or restrictions. A woman in a focus group was asked what she thinks the word “ban” means. She said it meant more paperwork and hassle and was SHOCKED to find out that it means that after 6 weeks of pregnancy, you can’t have an abortion unless you access medication abortion pills by mail. We need to speak in words the average human understands to underscore what this means to humans across the US. Instead of saying “maternal mortality,” saying things like “moms are dying in childbirth in the richest country in the world” will make more sense – and have more of an impact.
The ideas were inspiring—like having reproductive health screenings be a part of regular primary care and how to incentivize that so that it happens properly. It was also inspiring to hear about organizations like the Reproductive Freedom Alliance that are working to ensure that patients have access to equitable care, regardless of their ZIP code.
- Stat of Note: Since 2021, maternal mortality in some states has risen by more than 50% due to restrictions on reproductive services.
- Takeaway: Access to comprehensive reproductive care is not just a health issue but a human rights issue. Ensuring equitable access to care, particularly in underserved regions, remains a priority for many in the healthcare industry. And I’m here.for.it.
The themes from HLTH 2024 showed a shared vision for the future of healthcare: one that is more accessible, sustainable, technologically advanced, and equitable. As our industry continues to evolve, the collaboration between healthcare providers, tech innovators, payers, and sustainability experts will be vital to driving positive change. And how amazing that everyone was together at HLTH to continue driving this change we need.
