HLTH 2024: Top Takeaways for Telehealth and AI

As HLTH 2024 concluded in Las Vegas, it became clear that the event was a pivotal moment for telehealth and digital health industries, drawing in industry leaders, innovators, and forward-thinkers.

The Wheel team gathered critical insights from sessions, conversations, and case studies on the ground. Three key themes emerged, which not only captured the progress seen in digital health but also underscored the importance of AI, governance, and direct-to-consumer strategies for the future. Below, we break down the top takeaways that will shape healthcare’s trajectory in 2025.

1. AI Dominance Across the Healthcare Spectrum

It’s no surprise that AI was front and center at HLTH 2024. Nearly every booth, presentation, and networking session highlighted how AI is reshaping healthcare workflows, patient experiences, and even operational efficiencies. Gone are the days of AI as merely an ambitious experiment or untested concept; at HLTH 2024, AI was a transformative tool that’s beginning to reveal clear, proven impacts and use cases.

One standout success story focused on clinical documentation, where hospitals leveraging AI-powered scribing technology reported up to a 70% reduction in clinician charting time. This shift was not only a massive time-saver but also a quality-of-care improvement. Physicians noted that initial trials required them to review AI-generated notes thoroughly. However, as AI’s accuracy and the “human-in-the-loop” approach improved, they grew more confident in the AI's outputs. Over time, clinicians reported needing less hands-on review, while accuracy and reliability increased, ultimately minimizing burnout and streamlining workflows.

Overall, attendees were energized by AI’s potential, seeing real-world applications and practical case studies for clinical, operational, and administrative processes. Compared to last year, when AI’s role in healthcare was met with cautious skepticism, HLTH 2024 saw an enthusiastic embrace of AI — showcasing its ability to elevate care quality and reduce friction across the board.

2. Governance and Compliance: New AI Imperatives

AI adoption wasn’t all about enthusiasm, though; HLTH 2024 highlighted the importance of a robust governance framework to address challenges around privacy, ethics, and regulatory compliance. As AI becomes further integrated into healthcare workflows, organizations are increasingly aware that its implementation must be accompanied by strict governance practices. Many attendees and speakers discussed the critical need to ensure that the data feeding these AI models is compliant with health information privacy standards, as well as ethical principles around transparency and accountability.

Several organizations revealed that before implementing AI tools, they hired legal experts to design comprehensive governance models. These frameworks addressed the sources, handling, and applications of healthcare data, helping to mitigate risks associated with AI’s rapid implementation in healthcare settings. The importance of compliance and governance was emphasized across the board, especially with a growing regulatory spotlight on how data privacy is maintained and enforced in AI systems.

This heightened focus on compliance has immediate implications for Wheel and our virtual care partners. As we continue to incorporate AI-powered tools into our Horizon Platform, it’s crucial that we embed governance practices from the outset, ensuring that these tools not only improve efficiency but also adhere to the highest standards of security and accountability.

3. Direct-to-Consumer Engagement: The Life Sciences’ New Frontier

A notable trend at HLTH 2024 was the growing interest among life science and pharma companies in direct-to-consumer (DTC) engagement. Traditionally, the pharma industry focused on providers, relying on them to communicate treatment options to patients. But this year, pharma companies showed a stronger interest in using digital tools and virtual care models to reach patients directly. Several major players in the industry, including Eli Lilly and Pfizer, have begun pioneering efforts to personalize patient interactions through digital channels, leveraging telehealth to streamline adherence and follow-up programs.

Pharma companies are particularly interested in the potential of telehealth platforms to provide on-demand patient engagement, create targeted health information campaigns, and utilize AI-driven insights to anticipate patient needs. This shift is a key to improving access to care in this country by meeting patients in the critical moments where they are seeking out health information and delivering care services earlier in the patient journey, conveniently, and on-demand. Experienced partners like Wheel can facilitate direct-to-patient personalized care, and help life science companies take advantage of this opportunity to fill the gaps in equitable access to healthcare services.

The pivot towards DTC in the pharma space is also a reminder of the broader industry trend of providing consumer-centric solutions. Pharma’s move to establish a presence in the telehealth ecosystem represents an opportunity for providers to innovate in their patient-facing services and offer more personalized, targeted healthcare solutions. As we look to the future, the increased partnership between telehealth providers and life sciences will likely be a cornerstone of patient-centered care, where personalized and accessible healthcare becomes the standard rather than the exception.

Looking Forward: What HLTH 2024 Means for Wheel

HLTH 2024 underscored that we are at a turning point in digital health. The prominence of AI, alongside an increased focus on governance and direct-to-consumer strategies, signals a future where innovation is matched by accountability and engagement. Wheel remains committed to staying at the forefront of these developments, helping our partners and clients not only navigate the digital health landscape but also compliantly leverage the opportunities it offers. Our continued focus on scalable, secure, and innovative telehealth solutions aligns with the industry’s evolution and positions us to be an integral part of healthcare’s transformation.

As we move forward, Wheel is excited to integrate these insights into our strategic roadmap and continue delivering meaningful, patient-centered solutions that address the healthcare challenges of today and tomorrow.