Prior to the 5th-annual Connected Health Summit, hosted by Parks Associates, Nathan Treloar, President & COO, Orbita, Inc. sat down with the firm's analyst team to discuss what will impact the future of the connected health market.

Nathan will participate on the Emerging Connected Health Tech: Next Wave of Innovation panel on Thursday, August 30, at 1:30 PM. Panelists who will join him on this session include:

• Jennifer Fraser, Director of User Experience, Macadamian
• Stuart Patterson, CEO, LifePod
• John Valiton, CEO, Reemo Health 

What’s new in 2018 that keeps you upbeat/optimistic about the connected health market?

My company specializes in voice assistant and chat bot solutions for patient engagement and other health applications. 2018 has most definitely been the “year of voice”. This has been exciting for us and for our customers who have made voice-based and conversational AI solutions a strategic imperative.

What’s the most effective strategy/approach you have seen that engages consumers for health & wellness behavioral changes?

Focusing on user experiences that remove the barriers to engagement and otherwise provide patients a simple and intuitive way to manage their own health. Again, we are big fans of voice assistive solutions in this area.

What do you anticipate to happen in 2018 that would have the biggest impact on the connected health market?

Mostly decisions coming from the FCC and CMS that are motivating more investment in connected and digital healthcare.

How is AI in health helping to improve the care experience?

A report in May of this year claimed that AI agents have demonstrated better accuracy than trained dermatologists in identify skin cancers. This is promising, but I don’t expect AI to replace physicians any time soon. Rather, we are seeing where AI can *assist* clinicians to make better decisions, faster, and in turn, allowing them to spend more time with their patients (vs with data entry).

How will innovations in connectivity, such as the emergence of 5G, impact the health market?

Any innovations or infrastructure improvements that better reach and connect underserved, rural communities will have a profound impact on the individuals in those communities, as well as the organizations trying to serve them.

For more information on Connected Health Summit, visit: www.connectedhealthsummit.com.