Digital executives discuss consumer power at health and tech event

The power of the consumer and a lack of innovation in the social care sector were some of the topics discussed at a health and disruptive technologies panel in London.

Sitting on the panel on 9 February was founder and CEO of digital wellbeing platform Isoshealth, Kim Guest; medical technology entrepreneur and failed astronaut, Chris Crockford; and self-proclaimed digital health futurist, Maneesh Juneja.

The panel was chaired by Stephanie Forrest, founder and CEO of T/F/D, one of the event’s hosts.

The main purpose was to discuss how disruptive technologies were being used in the health sector today, the people driving the innovation and the key initiatives and challenges.

On the subject of who is driving innovation in the sector, all three panellists appeared to agree that the power lies with the consumer.

Crockford said: “Innovators are now thinking ‘how can we take technology and make it for the consumer and not for the clinician?’

“Consumers are going to drive it [innovation] forward.”

Crockford added that there was a trust element to innovative health technology as well, with consumers “happy” to hand over their data to companies such as Apple, but being more reluctant when it came to government and the NHS.

Guest pointed out that there was little innovation in the social care sector.

“[Social care] does not have a brand as renowned as the NHS and there is a lack of innovation,” she said.

“Technology can improve quality of life, so we need to make sure there is investment in the social care sector.”

When the audience was given the opportunity to ask their own questions, one member questioned whether the influx of technology allowing people to record their health data would increase anxieties and hypochondria.

In response, Guest said innovators and developers needed to be “clear about demand and clear about what might work” in order to prevent the market from becoming saturated with too much technology.

Crockford added that there was “not enough research on consumers and what they want”, causing the market to beccome flooded.

The event was hosted by T/F/D and Activate Capital at Shoreditch House.