During past recessions, the healthcare sector remained relatively immune to economic downswings — but things are different now that a sweeping labor shortage and lower patient volumes have been added to the mix.

At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.

While the average lifespan for Americans is 77.9 years, Americans are living only 65.9 years in good health. A new Deloitte report shows that if changes are made, Americans’ average lifespan could reach 90 years by 2040, with 85 of those years being in good health.

It shouldn’t be so hard for Americans to access healthy foods, said Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, founder of healthy food company Step One Foods, during a Tuesday panel at the MedCity INVEST conference in Chicago. There should be incentives for food companies and better nutrition education for Americans.

R&D spending rose in response to Covid-19, bringing with it higher expectations for returns on all biopharma investments. The once sky-high projections are coming down to Earth, with returns now in line with pre-pandemic levels, according to a new Deloitte report.

Inflation and shrinking operational margins are among the key factors that will influence hospitals and health systems’ strategies in 2023. To deal with this, more hospitals will merge with other systems, predicted Tina Wheeler, Deloitte’s leader for its healthcare sector.

Alternative care sites — defined as those outside a traditional doctor’s office — could potentially give millions of Americans access to more convenient and equitable healthcare. But that fantasy will only come true if alternative care sites build diverse care teams and prioritize care continuity.

Many startups are giving patients options to receive care that cuts out insurers. This includes online pharmacies, direct primary care platforms and lending companies. These startups are creating change among payers, some experts say.

Improving Customer Experience and Conversion in Healthcare & Life Sciences.

The final day of the conference, Friday, December 11, includes a panel on precision medicine investment trends, a look at clinical trial design innovation and the life sciences track of our Pitch Perfect startup contest. Register now!

The contracts are complicated and full of risks for drug companies. But there’s also a risk to steering clear of the arrangements — reduced or restricted access to a company’s medication.

What needs to happen to facilitate data sharing, ensure access to genome sequencing and promising personalized therapies?

Deloitte’s vision for health in 2040 is made up of three main categories: data and platforms; care enablement; and well-being and care delivery.

A new software service from the company called Amazon Comprehend Medical uses machine learning and natural language processing to extract relevant medical information from doctors’ notes, clinical trial reports and patient health records.

A Deloitte survey found only 34 percent of physicians said their organization or EHR vendor sought their feedback on EMR enhancements.

A Deloitte survey of 4,530 Americans ages 18 and up found millennials were more likely than seniors to use tech to receive medication alerts and to measure their fitness and health improvement goals.

A Deloitte survey of 624 primary care and specialty care doctors, which found only 14 percent said they have video visit capabilities, also provides suggestions about how hospitals can approach telehealth adoption.

Nvidia holds a dominant position in terms of making the chips that power artificial intelligence projects, but can the Silicon Valley tech company with roots in the world of gaming and graphics succeed in healthcare?

Deloitte has integrated ConvergeHEALTH Patient Connect, a tool that its life sciences clients use to support specific patient populations, with Apple HealthKit, CareKit and ResearchKit.

Doc.ai, a Palo Alto-based startup, has come out of stealth mode and launched its new platform. Through it, patients can input their data and receive suggestions from an AI-powered “doctor.”

A Deloitte survey of U.S. healthcare consumers revealed that priorities for telemedicine and remote monitoring tend to focus on caregiving more than self care.