The consumerization of healthcare is accelerating. Within five years, a “significant percentage” of healthcare services will be run through mobile apps and other digital tools, predicts John Halamka, a Boston-based doctor and prominent digital health expert.
Halamka shared his prognostication in a recent conversation, but we’ll dive more deeply into his vision for healthcare’s tech-enabled future during a fireside chat on Oct. 22 at X·CON 2019, Xconomy’s second annual Boston summit gathering an elite group from across sectors. This year’s theme is “Digital Health Gets Real,” a nod to healthtech’s progress, driven by technological advances, federal policy changes, and demand from patients and other stakeholders.
We’ve assembled a stellar lineup of speakers. Attendees will hear from companies at the forefront of digital therapeutics, artificial intelligence for drug development and patient care, virtual behavioral care, and health-minded devices.
It’s all happening at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, MA, a retreat-like venue for the full-day conference located just outside Boston. The talks will be interactive, with plenty of time for audience questions and networking between sessions.
You can view the full agenda here, and pick up your ticket here—but better move fast because the special early bird rate ends next week.
Here are some of the highlights of what’s in store:
—Rosalind Picard, an MIT Media Lab professor and affective computing pioneer, will share lessons from more than 25 years of translating research into real products. She co-founded Affectiva, a developer of AI software that aims to interpret human emotions; and Empatica, which says it created the first AI-enabled smartwatch cleared by the FDA for use in neurology, specifically for detecting epileptic seizures.
—The CEOs of three leading digital therapeutics companies—Kevin McRaith of Welldoc, Corey McCann of Pear Therapeutics, and Eddie Martucci of Akili Interactive Labs—will detail their efforts to commercialize software that doctors can prescribe to help treat medical conditions. Welldoc and Pear both have FDA-cleared prescription mobile apps on the market, for type 2 diabetes and addiction treatment, respectively. Akili is pursuing FDA clearance of a mobile video game to help treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and it’s also trying to commercialize products in Japan and Taiwan.
—Livongo Health is one of the most closely watched companies in digital health right now, following its initial public stock offering this past summer. The company’s chief data scientist, Anmol Madan, will sit down with Xconomy’s Brian Dowling to explore the opportunities and potential pitfalls in harnessing patient data to impact care.
—In a session titled “The Coach in Your Pocket,” we’ll hear from companies deploying mobile apps to improve health through behavioral changes: Eric Gastfriend of DynamiCare Health, Cheryl Morrison Deutsch of Zillion, and Reena Pande of AbleTo.
—Developing cutting-edge software for healthcare is one thing. Figuring out how it will make money is another. Healthcare investors Jessica Zeaske and Tuoyo Louis will discuss changes to insurance reimbursement rules that are opening up new opportunities for startups and VCs. Zeaske is a partner at Echo Health Ventures and previously directed healthcare investments at GE Ventures. Louis previously was a startup investor with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and he recently co-founded a new firm called Seae Ventures that will invest primarily in healthcare companies founded by women and minorities. Their chat will be moderated by Jody Rose of the New England Venture Capital Association.
—AI might not supplant your doctor, but it’s increasingly wielded as a tool in patient care. Andy Beck of PathAI, Andrew Le of Buoy Health, and Kenneth Harper of Nuance Communications will share their company’s efforts to advance AI’s clinical applications. For example, Nuance—a well-established player in speech recognition tech—is rolling out a system for doctors’ offices that would listen to their conversations with patients and automatically record important info in the patient’s electronic medical record.
We’ll announce a couple more additions to the agenda soon, but scoop up your ticket before it’s too late. See you on Oct. 22.
