It's obviousthat there is tremendous potential to deliver value and helpstakeholders on all sides of the health care ecosystem operate moreefficiently and deliver better health outcomes.

With more than 6,000 attendees and 300 speakers, HLTH 2019 inLas Vegas was one of the health care industry's largest events ofthe year. Alegeus had the opportunity to attend the conference andhear from CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs about the industry'smost important health care trends that are affecting consumersthroughout the country. Below are five takeaways from the eventthat are poised to impact the industry in 2020.

1. Solutions must consider and support the consumer's totalhealth.

The concept of "whole" or "total"health looks beyond traditional medical services to consider otherfactors that may impact a consumer's well-being. These social determinants of health are factors thatmight impede somebody from living a healthy lifestyle or accessingthe care that they need, including homelessness, food insecurity,transportation, and more.

Related: Social determinants of health playing a bigger rolein doctor visits

Financial wellness could certainly be considered a socialdeterminant of health, as many consumers struggle to afford thecare their family needs in light of rising out-of-pocket healthcare costs and other personal financial challenges. This topic isnear and dear to hearts at Alegeus, given our focus on helpingconsumers save and pay for their health care. The average householdincome of a health savings account participant is approximately$74,000, so it's clear that these account-based programs can play arole in helping lower- and middle-income individuals to save moneyand get better value for their health care dollars.

2. Digital health solutions are evolving rapidly, but adoptionand engagement are still a challenge.

You couldn't attend a session or make a new connection at HLTHwithout learning about an innovative new digital health solution.But, it's clear that many of those providers are grappling with thesame challenges–the need for more effective engagement to driveconsumer adoption and achieve desired outcomes. The most impactfulsolutions will meet consumers where they are, engaging them withpersonalized and relevant interactions through their preferredchannel at the right time.

3. Artificial intelligence (AI) is front and center.

AI has been featured prominently at HLTH since its inception,and this year was no different. The ability to deliver"personalization at scale" requires next-generation, smarttechnologies like AI, machine learning and predictive analytics tomine large data sets and turn that information into meaningfulinsights.

We're highly optimistic about our efforts to leverageAI to bend the medical cost curve, harvesting insights we knowabout the consumer to recommend specific, actionable savingstrategies and present opportunities to reduce costs.

4. Experience is everything.

The rise of digital solutions doesn't negate the significance ofphysical experiences. The key is bundling services for the consumer(whether physical or digital), to improve access, convenience, andoutcomes–addressing the holistic patient experience.

Several prominent companies were on hand to talk about how theyare bridging digital services and physical environments totransform consumer experiences. CVS Health is expanding clinics tobecome digital health hubs with an array of integrated healthservices, such as the ability to pre-order and pickup prescriptionsand services ahead of a medical procedure, all ordered online incollaboration with the service provider. Walmart Health talkedabout their new state-of-the-art multi-disciplinary health carefacility that has primary care, labs, X-ray and EKG, counseling,dental, optical, hearing, community health, and health insuranceeducation and enrollment all under one roof with transparentup-front pricing, regardless of insurance coverage.

5. Collaboration will be imperative to impact the consumerexperience in more meaningful ways.

In the health care ecosystem, there are countless companiestrying to improve the member experience with point solutions thataddress specific challenges. But often, point solutions don't doenough to really impact the consumer experience more holistically.True transformation will require breaking down silos andcollaborating with partners across the ecosystem to delivermeaningful innovation.

One example shared by a health plan leader was collaboration toimprove the consumer billing experience, which is typically a majorsource of friction and dissatisfaction. Rather than operating in asilo to streamline their EOB document, this plan partnered with amajor health network in their region and a billing solutionprovider to eliminate individual EOB and medical bill documentationand introduce a new experience that featured one simple,easy-to-understand billing document issued jointly by the plan andprovider to give consumers a clear view of what was covered andwhat was owed by the consumer – eliminating consumer confusion andfrustration by taking the guesswork out of the billing process.

It's clear from what we've seen and heard at HLTH that there aremany brilliant leaders and innovative solutions being introducedacross the health care space. It's obvious that there is tremendouspotential to deliver value and help stakeholders on all sides ofthe health care ecosystem operate more efficiently and deliverbetter health outcomes. While there is certainly much work ahead,we left the conference with a renewed feeling of optimism and can'twait to see the landscape evolve as we continue our work totransform the "future of health."

Jennifer Irwin is senior vice president,marketing & strategy at Alegeus.

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