Digital Health Takes Center Stage at CES 2023

The massive 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, shining a spotlight on the consumer electronic industry and bringing renewed attention to the growing influence of digital health.

What once was a small corner of one exhibit hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center exhibiting early smartwatches and fitness trackers will now be found throughout the massive conference. Digital health has been integrated into smart home devices that track daily activities alongside room temperature, lights and visitors at the front door; as well as in electronic games and home entertainment platforms. It's in TVs that can connect to the internet and enable connections with family, friends and caregivers, and new cars that can monitor a driver's health.

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

The event, one of the largest in the world, is becoming increasingly popular to healthcare organizations as well.

Consumer-facing technology was once kept at a distance from healthcare providers who felt that the technology wasn't reliable or accurate enough to be used in clinical situations. But as forward-thinking organizations began using smartwatches and other wearables to track activity and trends, and as the technology becomes more sophisticated, with some achieving clinical-grade status, the landscape is now crowded with health systems and providers looking for new opportunities to connect with and manage care for patients outsider the hospital, clinic, or doctor's office.

Expect that trend to continue, as the healthcare industry looks to become more consumer-centric and providers of all sorts look to establish new connected health experiences.

Among the special events scheduled at CES 2023 is "The Future of Care in America: A New Hybrid Model," featuring Carlos Nunez, MD, chief medical officer for ResMed as the moderator and panelists Anne Docimo, MD, UnitedHealthcare's chief medical officer, 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 panels of note will address virtual care and independent living, healthcare technology for seniors, sports technology, AI and digital health, self-tracking, hybrid care, bridging gaps in care, the future of at-home testing and diagnosis, and smart cities in health.

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