Momentum builds with MedTech opportunities: Medical device execs speak on future of digital health
Boston, MA–November 12, 2020 When you combine data with analytics, “Momentum builds because of all the opportunities that continue to unlock,” said Jodi Eddy, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Boston Scientific Corporation, at the MedExecWomen virtual fall forum, “At the Cutting Edge of Digital Health” on Tuesday, November 10.
The momentum and energy were palpable at the meeting which gathered more than 120 female executives in the MedTech/medical device field to talk about the industry and digital health.
Regarding the current explosion in use of digital tools, Anjana Harve, Senior VP & CIO, Fresenius Medical Care NA said, “COVID had been a giant experiment for us. It’s forced a lot of good discussion. Opened the doors that would have taken years.”
“We’ve reached a tipping point,” said Jodi Eddy. “70% of visits were virtual during the pandemic.” We may see 50% continuing to be virtual in the long term, she said.
With all the data and the tools, Harve was concerned with burnout, taking a clinician away from being a clinician.
The group also addressed the topic of healthcare inequity, which has become so evident during our current COVID crisis. “How do we design with the patient in mind?” said Harve. “Make sure the sample is really unbiased. Bring the right voice from the design phase so it’s relevant for each of the patient groups.”
“Who’s writing your algorithms?” said Luba Greenwood, Senior Lecturer at Harvard University and former Head of Strategic Business Development at Verily (Google Life Sciences), pointing out various ways bias creeps in. “Are you looking at all the variables you should be? Do you go to the basement and see your data scientists? Who are they, and are they designing with all the variables in mind?”
“Include diverse patients in your clinical trials. Digital tools can be remarkable at identifying patients who could benefit and matching them to the trial,” Greenwood said.
The competitors are changing in the field, Greenwood noted. “Right now, the industry considers Apple and Google and virtual reality companies as strategic partners, but they’re actually positioning themselves to be direct competitors.”
The event for senior level women in the medical device industry featured a panel discussion with three industry executives: Eddy, Greenwood, and Harve. The panel was moderated by Meghna Eichelberger, Partner and Associate Director, Medical Technologies at Boston Consulting Group, and introduced by Maria Shepherd, President, Medi-Vantage and a founder of the organization. “It was an enormous success and a tremendous opportunity for these executives to discuss strategy, readiness for the second surge, new competitors like Apple and Google Health and more,” said Shepherd. For more information: http://www.medexecwomen.org/fallforum.
MedExecWomen empowers female executives to accelerate the positive impact of medical devices, diagnostics, drug delivery and digital healthcare. Interested executive level women can reach out to the organization https://medexecwomen.org/.
The meeting is sponsored by Boston Scientific, Johnson & Johnson, Boston Consulting Group, Bank of America, Latham & Watkins, Insulet, ZS Associates, Medtronic, Halloran, and Medi-Vantage, MedTech Strategies and Kathleen Rowe Associates.
Media Contact: Kathleen Rowe, media@medexecwomen.org