Top 5 Takeaways from DHNY Summit

With NYC as our backdrop, DHNY Summit brought together the who’s who in digital health. Our speakers were frank, candid and bold in true New York fashion. We’ve distilled the day’s dynamic and insightful conversations to 5 key takeaways.

NY has become a digital health powerhouse

Early entrants like ZocDoc, Flatiron Health and Oscar proved that New York was a viable digital health market, and these pioneering companies spawned dozens of new startups and founders. This has led to a vibrant ecosystem with opportunity, energy and immense talent.

Disruption in healthcare is hard

Creating lasting change in healthcare is not for the faint of heart. Big tech's philosophy "to move fast and break things" doesn't always apply to healthcare, particularly when it might cause harm to patients. When you add misaligned incentives, lengthy contracting processes and regulatory hurdles to the mix, it’s clear that systemic change is what is needed to achieve true disruption. Winners will need to demonstrate tenacity and grit.

There's no health equity without equitable outcomes

Access to care is a key to health equity, but it’s not the only goal. Ultimately there must be a commitment to equity in outcomes. Technology can play a role, but given the unique obstacles that these communities face (lack of connectivity, language barriers, resources), there’s a significant need to provide tools and services that are tailored to each population to improve health outcomes.

Value Based Care is still in its infancy

While VBC has drawn much attention and attracted many pilots, its full promise has yet to be realized. Some barriers include data access and sharing, lack of interoperability and attribution. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and there’s optimism that we’ll make it to the finish line.

Technology is improving the patient experience, now let's focus on physicians

The focus on patient experience and engagement has created increased options for consumers when it comes to on-demand care, accessibility and virtual care. On the provider side, the reality is just the opposite – technology has often led to a greater burden on doctors. For healthcare to realize technology’s true potential, it’s incumbent upon all of us to find solutions to address provider experience.