The SXSW Health and MedTech Expo is back during the Interactive Festival. The inaugural year for this track – 2015 – was a major success with over 5,000 attendees, and this year they expect significant growth. This should not come as a surprise. After all, consumerization of healthcare and digital health solutions continue to run as a pair, piquing the interest of many, and SXSW is the Mecca for innovation and opportunity.
Unlike traditional healthcare events, SXSW provides a stimulating atmosphere. It is chaotic, exciting, and ushers in cutting-edge technology entrepreneurs. It promotes thought leadership and encourages networking. It appeals to uber-geeks, digital creators, bloggers, locals, healthcare professionals, and college students – a hodge-podge of individuals who can gather and gain valuable insights.
From maintaining or making healthier changes to managing chronic conditions, we all have a stake in our overall health and well-being. As healthcare shifts from volume to value, and the uninsured population continues to drop, technology is being created to relieve some of the pressure care providers don’t have time to address. Attendees will learn about what’s happening with this $4.5B space.
The digitalization of healthcare is a new frontier and the pioneers making their claims in this new world are here to showcase. Sessions will cover innovative solutions including apps, connective platforms, patient data systems, even wearables in the fashion industry – I personally cannot wait to hear from Uri Minkoff on this one!
Next IT Healthcare will be presenting for the third year in a row. Our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Thomas Morrow will be joined by Colin Anawaty from Patient IO, Hossein Fakhrai-Rad, phD from BaseHealth, and Kirsten Karchmer from Conceivable for a panel discussion. You can expect to hear compelling evidence that despite all the technology solutions available, adherence to treatment plans remains low. The panelists will discuss the importance of driving behavior change for better health outcomes, and how imperative patient engagement is in this equation. Fixing the Patient Behavior Change Gap takes place Tuesday, March 15 at 5:00 pm. Join us!
Other “don’t miss” sessions on my radar include Hacking for Healing: MedTech and Chronic Disease, Consumer Reports: What’s Our Health Data Worth?, and from Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, How a Sports Giant is Now Tackling Your Health.
If you are in the business of healthcare you can expect to join others from around the world to learn about initiatives and solutions on the cutting-edge that will bring us a brighter future in healthcare!