An Updated Outlook on Health: Forces That Continue to Shape Our Future

SUMMARY

• In the beginning of 2021, our strategists identified seven trends that we thought would shape our future and health in 2021. Halfway through the year, we checked in with our predictions to see what still stood up and what else is coming.

• The future of telehealth lies in building relationships for the right moments.

• Preventative health is taking a front seat in how patients think about care.

• Mental Health is health.

• At-home diagnostics continue to improve the lives of those who need it most.

• Sleep is becoming a key health stat.

In January, we predicted that 2021 would be the year we experience innovation in care, blur the role between patients and consumers, and welcome unconventional companies into health conversations. In that outlook on health, we identified seven trends that would bring this future to life:

• Care Around the Corner

• Home = Health

• Transformative Health Requires Integration

• Hello, Dr. Consumer

• A Divergence in Diagnostic Standards

• Self-Care Supercharged

• The New Fit

Now that we’re halfway through the year, we wanted to explore how these trends manifested, and what other trends have emerged on the horizon of health.

The Future of Telehealth is Relationships at the Right Time

Telehealth experienced a significant boom both in use and in investment during the pandemic. During a time when it was the only way to replace in-person care, telehealth as a solution made sense. Now that society is entering a post-lockdown phase, telehealth isn’t the best way to experience care in all cases. The future of telehealth depends on two assumptions: that we can choose the right care moment for the visit we need; and that we can establish meaningful relationships with the healthcare professional on the screen. Right care at the right moment means re-evaluating which healthcare touchpoints require physical interactions, and which can be done in the comfort of someone’s home. There is a growing demand for digital mental health apps and services and its proof that customers and consumers are seeking mental health often and in the comfort of their personal homes or environments. But at what cost? More and more mental health apps are entering the space, and most recently with Ro launching its virtual mental health service for anxiety and depression. But, a poor user experience could mean mistrust in the entire system — or worse, a delay in care — and both are too high of a cost when people need help.

When we can deliver valuable care moments using tech as a guide, not a replacement, telehealth will find its vital place in a patient’s care experience.

Hello, Dr. Consumer — A Preventative Approach to Health

More and more, consumers are looking for ways to be empowered by their health data, and their role as patient continues to evolve. Technology, apps and wearables are giving patients unprecedented visibility into their own stats. Apple’s latest updates to its Health app not only continues to deliver value with its heart rate data, but now includes information on walking steadiness — a breakthrough as we think of our aging population, sleep metrics, blood oxygen levels, and more.

All of these updates to wearables, technology, and at-home diagnostics point to encouraging trends toward a more preventative and proactive patient population regarding health. In our Gen Z report, we found that over half of Gen Zers are using some sort of wearable device to monitor their health, and of them, another 40% are looking for some sort of medical guidance when it comes to making decisions about their health.

The problem we’re facing is not an engaged consumer, but an engaged consumer who isn’t taught or empowered to do anything with the data they have in their hands. There’s a growing need for digital therapeutics to not only provide the data, but also guidance and recommendation — whether from their own HCP or a health panel — on how to take action with this data.

Mental Health is Health

The definition of what health is continues to broaden, and while the importance of taking care of our mental health is not a new practice, more and more people and businesses are waking up to the idea of integrating it into practice and policies. With a waning pandemic, millions of people are quitting jobs and re-examining what their job means to them. Known as The Great Resignation, there’s a national exodus from jobs that demand too much time, don’t pay enough, or leave them unhappy and unfulfilled.

In our latest Gen Z report, we talked about this outspoken cry for help spurred by a generation who normalized conversations around being emotionally and mentally unwell. Just recently, USA gymnast Simone Biles pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics because she didn’t feel mentally OK before her finals. And before that, tennis pro Naomi Osaka withdrew for similar mental reasons, after being fined during the French Open for refusing to not speak to the media for personal mental health reasons. This trend toward holistic health, and a recognition that mental health IS health is a productive conversation as we rethink what wellness in the future looks like — mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Sleep As a Baseline Health Stat

Conversations around sleep and sleep tech have been happening for years. But not until recently have consumers been empowered with data that directly nods to the role that sleep plays in mental health and wellbeing. More and more, we’re seeing companies and technology emerge that focus on this connection. With big tech companies like Google and Amazon making serious moves in the sleep tech world, the story around sleep will continue to grow and evolve. Cove, a tech company that uses vibrations to activate a brain pathway that helps you sleep better also promises to relieve stress more effortlessly. In fact, we’ve seen that Gen Z in particular considers sleep to be a key part of their health. In our own report on Gen Z and the Future of Health, we found that 52% of Gen Zers listed sleep as a health-related action they take. Measurements and data around sleep are becoming a baseline statistics — just as important as monitoring heart rate or tracking steps.

We’re at the nexus of health conversations — and everyone’s invited. Let’s talk about your healthcare strategy for 2021. Drop us a note: hello@thelinusgroup.com.