HLTH 2024: 7 key takeaways from the healthcare technology conference

The HLTH conference offered evidence of the growing excitement about artificial intelligence in healthcare, but the conversation is getting more nuanced.

That’s perhaps the key takeaway from the healthcare technology conference in Las Vegas. Thousands of healthcare leaders came for the convention, which started Sunday and ended Wednesday.

Here’s a rundown of some of my key takeaways from the HLTH conference.

I’ll offer a few caveats. There were literally hundreds of sessions, so obviously I didn’t attend each one. And with an estimated 12,000 in attendance, I didn’t talk to everyone.

I did speak with a good number of healthcare leaders in attendance (my dance card was full), some for interviews and others in casual conversations. This rundown reflects insights from the sessions I attended and those I spoke with at the conference.

You can also check out this video recap for more of the sights and scenes from HLTH. (The story continues below.)

AI excitement, with an asterisk

Ahead of HLTH, some healthcare leaders projected that AI would be the main topic at the conference.

They were not wrong.

It’s probably not surprising that AI was the dominant conversation at HLTH, and it was the topic of a host of sessions.

Tom Mihaljevic, MD, president and CEO of the Cleveland Clinic, talked about how his health system is utilizing AI in healthcare in one of the featured addresses at HLTH. In the short term, he said AI’s impact on healthcare may be overhyped, but he also said in the long-term, AI’s potential to change the industry could actually be underrated.

“The enthusiasm for the application of AI in healthcare is appropriately high,” he said.

However, there is a little fatigue, and even some frustration, over the constant AI hype. A number of healthcare leaders said there needs to be an understanding that AI is not a magic wand that is going to solve every problem in healthcare.

Others also expressed a little wariness of vendors pushing AI technologies. Some leaders said AI companies need to focus on more than using new technology, and concentrate on developing tools that help solve real issues for healthcare providers.

They also offered advice worth heeding for AI companies: Get some input from clinicians on your AI tools, since they’ll be using them. Another hint: That should include nurses as well as doctors.

Executives continue to see AI offering more immediate benefits in helping streamline administrative tasks and helping to ease burdens on their staff.

While some leaders say AI could help expand access to healthcare, others warned that it could exacerbate disparities. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said he sees AI as expanding the divide.

“I’m very worried health systems are using AI honestly to segregate patients into those that are profitable and those that are not,” Califf said.

• Read more: Kaiser Permanente CEO talks about acquiring more hospital systems | HLTH 2024

Clinician burnout

Some of the AI discussions are aimed at easing the workload of clinicians, and there is a recognition that doctors, nurses and other caregivers are spending too much time looking for data or filing claims, and that’s contributing to burnout.

Burnout among doctors and nurses is hardly a new phenomenon. The Physicians Foundation reports that 60% of doctors experience feelings of burnout. But there seems to be growing understanding that clinicians need more help and that too many are losing their joy for the job.

Healthcare leaders are also talking about reducing time spent on administrative tasks so that clinicians can focus more on their patients and have better conversations and can think more deeply about ways to help them. That’s a concern that was addressed repeatedly over the course of HLTH.

Restlessness

Health leaders also exhibited some restlessness over the state of healthcare.

Even as many talked about AI and other digital tools to improve care, executives noted the glaring problems that persist for many Americans.

Americans have shorter lifespans than those living in other countries, Califf noted. Too many people don’t have a primary care doctor, and too many communities don’t even have family physicians.

Too many can’t afford the care they need, and are grappling with social factors such as homelessness, food insecurity, or simply lacking a full-service grocery store.

Some of the conversations about health equity felt a bit ironic in the Venetian, the lavish site of the conference. But it’s good that there was a recognition of the reality for many Americans beyond the Vegas strip.

Experts talk about the mental health crisis in children during a panel discussion at the HLTH conference.

Mental health

Some of the best conversations involved the growing mental health crisis in America.

An excellent session at HLTH focused on the mental health woes of kids and teens. As executives of pediatric hospitals have lamented, more children are showing up in emergency rooms due to mental health issues.

Experts on the panel warned against dismissing a child’s depression or anxiety as just a phase. They also said some people aren’t appreciating how much the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted kids and teens.

Disturbingly, the experts said too many kids simply don’t see hope for the future. Akiera Gilbert, CEO of Project HEAL, an organization that helps young people with eating disorders, warned that many kids struggle with isolation.

“We are theoretically living in an age of connection, and we have never been more alone,” Gilbert said.

Women’s health

The HLTH conference gave some welcome attention to women’s health and research.

First Lady Jill Biden announced the awarding of $110 million for research in women’s health research during the closing day of health.

She also urged healthcare leaders to put more attention on women’s issues.

“I know you see these opportunities in your day-to-day work,” Biden said. “Here’s what I also want you to know. The women of America are waiting on you.”

Another high-profile woman made the case for paying more attention to women’s health. Halle Berry, the Oscar-winning actress, talked about her advocacy for women’s health and the need to invest more in studies of menopause. Even though all women will go through menopause, Berry noted that there’s been little research. She’s backing a bill to invest more in menopause research and care.

“We need more money, we need more dollars, we need more research, we need more clinical trials,” Berry said.

At least in the sessions I observed, there were a good number of women on the panels, which is also encouraging.

Giddiness over GLP-1s

Quite a few HLTH sessions focused on the popularity and potential benefits of anti-obesity medications, or GLP-1 drugs. The demand for those drugs has surged, and leaders at HLTH see little signs that the consumer appetite for GLP-1 drugs is waning.

While used in treatment of diabetes and weight loss, healthcare leaders also expressed interest in more research in their use to treat other conditions.

However, some derided the cost of GLP-1 drugs, which top $1,000 and are out of reach of many Americans. Califf chided drug companies for the high price tags.

“The profit margin, especially in the U.S., is outrageous,” Califf said. “They should be ashamed of themselves for what they’re charging Americans.”

Musician John Legend talked about health equity at the HLTH conference in Las Vegas.

Star power

Halle Berry wasn’t the only famous face at HLTH this year. Other celebrities took the stage and offered some perspectives that have some value for healthcare organizations.

Musician John Legend spoke about health equity during an appearance on the main stage Monday. In a conversation with Vanessa Broadhurst, executive vice president of global corporate affairs at Johnson & Johnson, Legend talked about seeing health disparities in his own family. He noted that his grandfather had his leg amputated due to diabetes, and talked about delays in getting the right diagnosis and treatment.

“I’ve seen how health equity and the lack thereof has impacted my own family over the years,” Legend said.

Rock icon Lenny Kravitz talked about his work to improve oral health and healthcare more broadly in the Bahamas. He also pointed to a key ingredient in the success of those efforts, and offered a worthwhile lesson for providers.

The clinicians who are working with people in the Bahamas are treating them with respect and not pity, he said.

““It just feels beautiful,” Kravitz said. “You’re giving them their health back, you’re giving them their smile back, their dignity. … they’re so thankful.”