Digital health takes center stage at CES 2023

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The major consumer electronics show returns to Las Vegas in January with a renewed focus on consumer-facing technology that personalizes and improves the healthcare journey.

CES 2023 kicks off next week in Las Vegas, putting the spotlight on the consumer electronics industry and bringing renewed attention to the growing influence of digital health.

What was once a small corner of an exhibit hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center showcasing the first smartwatches and fitness trackers will now be found throughout the huge conference. Digital health has been integrated into smart home devices that track daily activities along with room temperature, lights and visitors at the front door; as well as in electronic games and home entertainment platforms. It’s in televisions that can connect to the Internet and enable connections with family, friends and healthcare professionals, and in new cars that can monitor a driver’s health.

Virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) will be featured prominently in Las Vegas this year, as will artificial intelligence and robotics. And they expect remote monitoring tools and platforms to make their presence known in wearables that track a wide range of vital signs and activities, and in the aforementioned smart home technology. In short, while healthcare was once a side benefit or addition to consumer electronics, it is now a part of form and function.

The event, one of the largest in the world, is also becoming increasingly popular with healthcare organisations.

Consumer-facing technology was once held at a distance by healthcare professionals who felt the technology was not reliable or accurate enough to be used in clinical situations. But as forward-thinking organizations have begun using smartwatches and other wearables to track activity and trends, and as technology becomes more sophisticated, with some reaching clinical-grade status, the landscape is now crowded with healthcare systems and providers looking to new opportunities to connect with and manage patient care outside the hospital, clinic or doctor’s office.

Expect this trend to continue, as the healthcare sector appears to become more consumer-centric and providers of all types seek to create new connected health experiences.

Among the special events scheduled at CES 2023 is “The Future of Care in America: A New Hybrid Model,” with Carlos Nunez, MD, chief medical officer of ResMed as a moderator and speakers Anne Docimo, MD, chief medical officer of UnitedHealthcare, Susan Turney, MD, MS, FACP, FACPME, CEO of Wisconsin’s Marshfield Clinic Health System, Vidya Raman-Tangella, MD, chief medical officer of Teladoc Health, and Stephen Klasko, MD, MBA, former president and CEO of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health and now an executive in residence at General Catalyst.

Other notable panels will cover virtual care and independent living, health tech for seniors, sports tech, AI and digital health, self-monitoring, hybrid care, bridging the gap in care, the future of home testing and diagnosis, and smart cities in health.

Also of note: Eric Wicklund, Senior Editor of Innovation and Technology at HealthLeaders, will moderate a panel on “Data in the Age of Public Health Emergencies,” with Alexander Garza, MD, chief community health officer at St. Louis, Deven McGraw, former deputy director of health information policy for the HHS Office of Civil Rights and co-founder and chief regulator for consumer health technology company Ciitizen, and Lee Schwamm, MD, vice president of the patient experience at Mass General Brigham.

Eric Wicklund is the Innovation and Technology Editor for HealthLeaders.

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