The HLTH conference, an event devoted to innovation and the future of healthcare, took place in Las Vegas this year hosting thousands of health & wellness professionals.  Commerce disrupters had a noticeable influence on some sessions, and dozens of start-ups were looking to disrupt traditional approaches. Throughout the conference, three key themes emerged:

B2C Brands Are Tackling Health & Wellness

The consumerization of healthcare has ushered some unlikely brands into the space. The expo featured retailers and brands retooling their successful consumer-first business models to fill whitespaces in the health vertical. Best Buy, Google, Fidelity, and Virgin are just a few brands addressing a need for healthcare to be as personalized and stress-free as booking a rideshare or having groceries delivered. While cross-over brands are leveraging technology and data-driven strategies that have made them powerhouses in their respective categories, native healthcare brands need to embrace this industry shift to remain competitive. 

Health Equity Was Top of Mind

Several sessions highlighted health equity. Topics ranged from fair candidate selection for clinical trials to addressing the systematic misdiagnosis of black women, above all other classifications. Our own Publicis Health took part in the conversation with an event on the subject in partnership with LabCorp and MM+M. They also hosted the Patient Experience Lab, which recorded more than 20 patient and caregiver interviews for a digital campaign centering on the patient voice, launching early next year.

Leveraging Social Platforms for 1:1 Communication 

Pharma is rethinking leveraging social media by embedding its brands in the patient lifestyle. More and more consumers are utilizing social media platforms as trusted sources of information from pharmaceutical manufacturers. As this trend continues to grow, it presents opportunities for pharma to take a more prominent role in orchestrating or participating in social patient communities designed to engage and inform. Patient communities are becoming a part of patient services, giving consumers and drug manufacturers more one-to-one engagement, which is key to loyalty in a competitive market. 

Overall HLLTH 2022 showcased where the industry will invest and why healthcare practitioners should be prioritizing innovation and patient experience.