Trends Spotlight: The Autonomous Self

Step into a new era. Ushered in by the latest developments in artificial intelligence (AI), wearable tech, predictive diagnosis, tracking applications, and other breakthrough advances, welcome to the world of interconnected, highly personalized health. This renewed interest in the self comes from the evolving concepts of well-being and health, and the post-pandemic realization that the balance of physical and mental health is central to this idea.?

We’ve seen evidence of this in the space of Digital Therapeutics (DTx). DTxs are evidence-based therapeutic interventions driven by software to prevent, manage, or treat a medical condition. The U.S. market size for this segment of digital health is estimated to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.8% from 2022 to 2030. And a projected revenue forecast of USD $10.5 billion by 2030. While most digital therapeutics are focused on the treatment of anxiety and depression, we are seeing the product offering extend to treat different conditions like insomnia (Somryst ), diabetes (Omada Health ), and even gut health (Seed + Axial Therapeutics ).??

At the forefront of innovation in the DTx space is a new emerging class of therapeutics: Immersive Therapeutics. This class includes prescribed virtual reality experiences and video games. And they have recently gained breakthrough designations from the FDA. Such is the case of RelieVRx which provides an “at-home immersive reality pain treatment indicated as an adjunctive treatment for chronic lower back pain.” Similarly, EndeavorRx is the only prescribed video game treatment for children with ADHD, accessible from any mobile device or tablet.?

As we continue our exploration of 2023 Trends: Realities Edge, we’re diving into the different areas of health where change is rapidly sweeping through. Let’s dig in.?

Automation Disruption?

You can’t talk about disruption without talking about AI. Artificial Intelligence has sent industries into a frenzy and raised valid concerns about the long-term implications of its rapid advance. While everyone keeps a watchful eye on the AI takeover, the healthcare industry is catching up with overdue demands for innovation with some strong players. Navina , a company developing AI-powered assistant software for physicians, is tackling the complex integration of electronic health records for providers. Others, like Diagnostics Robotics , are looking at wide-scale systemic disruption with their medical-grade AI triage and clinical predictions platform. It's a comprehensive tool that seeks to reduce the cost of care and optimize the return on investment for health networks and organizations.?

Care Anywhere?

Another area undergoing a major revamp is direct-to-consumer care. Growing accustomed to at-home testing kits because of COVID-19, consumer demand for convenient, responsive, and decentralized care has risen. Enter Everlywell whose offering includes food allergies, sexual health, fertility tests, etc., all from the privacy of your home. This care-at-your-fingertips model is also expanding into the medical product category with Tomorrow Health , which provides end-to-end solutions for at-home-based care, including oxygen tanks, tension meters, orthopedic supplies, and more. As more tech giants and startups look at revolutionizing the care delivery model, consumers can expect to see a push towards patient-centric solutions and highly personalized care.?

Crowdsourced Health?

Embracing the democratization of health, patients are turning to digital spaces to better understand their path to accurate diagnosis and connect with other patients. It has been reported that people spend hundreds of hours online on patient forums and other websites, researching first-hand experiences about specific drugs and treatments. Making sense of all these data points is a major undertaking. Luckily StuffThatWorks is building the biggest patient-reported knowledge database for chronic conditions. By crowdsourcing patient-recorded outcomes and applying natural language processing to the data, the platform delivers valuable insights to its patient community. To date, they have over 3 million patient members, 19 thousand doctors, and 97 million data points.?

Consider a Path Forward?

Health is now patient-centric by design. As a brand, you can start by evaluating your current ecosystem through the lens of connected health. Are there opportunities to optimize the delivery of care for your patients? Can you extend your brand’s presence across touchpoints by leveraging virtual health concierges? Can you empower healthcare providers by offering smarter diagnoses through data??

The next iteration of health embraces the quantification of data, and while this information will become accessible to people, it still needs to be deciphered and interpreted. Brands working in the healthcare and wellness industry can remain relevant by helping people make sense of all these metrics, leveraging that knowledge to help shape habit formation and eventually drive behavioral change.?

Explore how your brand can navigate the evolving landscape by diving into our 2023 Trends: Realities Edge report, packed with 2023 insights, key shifts, and market analysis to help you and your brand navigate the changes in health and wellness.??