Around 50 INSEAD and EPFL alumni joined a panel of experts from established e-health companies, startups, and VC firms to explore the future direction of the healthcare industry. The roundtable was jointly organized by INSEAD Alumni Association Switzerland and EPFL Alumni.
The availability of fast, reliable, and ubiquitous communication networks, as well as by the development of new algorithmic approaches. At the same time there is growing awareness of the need for virtual solutions to help tackle the explosive rise in healthcare costs, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Charity Kufaas (Medtronic) Marylin Mermod Schule (Swiss Safe Collect), Esmeralda Megally (Xsensio) and Diego Braguglia (VI Partners) shared their rich insights and experience with new business models in healthcare.
Key takeaways included:
*Patients have become consumers, particularly if they are paying themselves.
*Diagnosis related groups (DRGs) have forced hospitals and their doctors/healthcare providers to manage risks.
*Data generation is now an essential part of any healthcare business model.
*Precision healthcare is a question of time, depending on efficacy and costs.
*Product companies are shifting from hardware to patient-centric solutions.
Following the panel discussion, the experts were asked about their vision for the future. This triggered many interesting conversations during the networking drinks, around questions such as how to lead a happy and healthy life, who should be empowered to make healthcare decisions, how to maintain flexibility and openness for innovation, and how to collaborate better.