Healthcare leaders at CES 2025’s Digital Health Summit underscored the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and digital tools in revolutionizing patient care. The summit highlighted the growing consumer demand for personalized, data-driven healthcare solutions, challenging traditional providers to adapt or risk obsolescence.

Seize the Moment: Transforming Healthcare with Consumer-Driven Innovation

Redefining Patient-Centric Care

The landscape of modern healthcare is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by advancements in technology and an increasing emphasis on patient empowerment. Executives from leading health systems gathered at CES 2025 to explore how emerging technologies can bridge the gap between patients and providers. Dr. Anthony Chang, Chief Intelligence and Innovation Officer at Children’s Hospital of California, emphasized that within this decade, failure to adopt AI tools could result in malpractice claims. This stark warning underscores the urgency for healthcare organizations to embrace innovation.The challenge lies in transforming healthcare into a more responsive and adaptable system. Highmark Health President and CEO David Holmberg stressed the importance of meeting patients where they are, both physically and digitally. He argued that the industry must evolve to treat people not just as patients but as consumers who expect convenience, accessibility, and quality service. This shift requires a fundamental rethinking of how healthcare is delivered, moving beyond traditional models to incorporate new technologies like virtual care and AI-driven analytics.

Overcoming Industry Inertia

Historically, the healthcare sector has been slow to innovate, often hindered by rigid structures and resistance to change. ChristianaCare President and CEO Dr. Janice Nevin pointed out that it has taken decades for the industry to align doctors and nurses, let alone integrate advanced technologies. However, the current crisis—marked by workforce shortages, rising costs, and disruptive competitors—demands swift action. At CES 2025, the exhibit halls showcased cutting-edge consumer technologies that promise to revolutionize daily life, including smart home devices that monitor health metrics. These innovations offer a glimpse into a future where individuals have unprecedented access to their health data and tools to manage it. The key for healthcare leaders is to leverage these technologies to create scalable solutions that can extend care beyond clinical settings and into homes.Holmberg believes that innovation is the only way out of the current challenges facing the industry. By fostering and embracing new tools, healthcare providers can enhance workflows, reduce burnout, and improve overall outcomes. The integration of AI, in particular, holds immense potential to transform the provider-patient relationship, enabling more efficient and personalized care.

Collaboration vs. Competition: The Path Forward

The debate over collaboration versus competition emerged as a critical theme during the summit. While some executives, like Dr. Nevin, advocated for greater cooperation among stakeholders, others, such as Eli Lilly and Company CIO Diogo Rau, saw value in competition. Rau argued that competitive forces could drive down costs and improve services, benefiting consumers in the long run.Nevin expressed concern about the industry’s tendency to silo information and resources, which creates gaps in care and frustrates patients. She called for increased collaboration, data sharing, and idea exchange to address these issues. However, Rau countered that too much collaboration has historically worked against consumer interests, suggesting that healthy competition might be a better approach.Ultimately, the path forward likely lies somewhere in between. Balancing collaboration and competition can foster an environment where innovation thrives while ensuring that consumers remain the focus. As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, finding this balance will be crucial to meeting the demands of an increasingly tech-savvy and empowered patient population.

Shaping the Future of Healthcare

Looking ahead, the future of healthcare appears poised for significant transformation. Visionaries like Stephen Klasko, former president and CEO of Jefferson Health, envision an era where prevention and wellness take precedence over reactive disease treatment. Klasko noted that consumers already experience better care for their cars than for themselves, highlighting the need for a more proactive and personalized healthcare model.Holmberg envisions a future where healthcare providers can effectively manage vast amounts of data to create personalized care maps for each patient. Meanwhile, Dr. Nevin foresees smaller, more focused hospitals and fewer hospital beds, with care delivery shifting to outpatient and home-based settings. These changes aim to meet consumers where they want to receive care, improving both satisfaction and outcomes.However, the question remains: will the industry move fast enough to satisfy a growing and increasingly dissatisfied consumer base? The rise of AI and digital health tools offers a promising solution, but only if the healthcare sector can overcome its reluctance to embrace these technologies. As Laura Adams, RN, of the National Academy of Medicine, aptly put it, “the revolution is very much underway.” Healthcare providers must keep pace with consumer expectations and technological advancements to ensure they do not get left behind.