In 2024, consumer tech and healthtech intersected to focus on patient-centric innovations, Antoine Robiliard, VP of health solutions at Withings, told MobiHealthNews. 

Robiliard expects 2025 to bring AI-enabled advancements, market consolidation and increased adoption of at-home care technologies. He also says mergers and acquisitions will become essential for driving innovation, maintaining competitiveness and delivering seamless, impactful healthcare solutions.

MobiHealthNews: What are some of your big takeaways from 2024?

Antoine Robiliard: In 2024, the lines between consumer technology and healthtech have continued to blur. Devices traditionally seen as fitness or wellness gadgets – like smartwatches, scales and connected monitors – are now integral parts of healthcare systems. The rapid adoption of health-focused features, such as ECG capabilities and blood pressure monitoring in everyday devices, demonstrates this convergence. 

What's more, connected-health devices are enabling medical-grade measurements that were once only available in clinical settings to be performed conveniently at home. This shift empowers individuals to monitor their health in real-time and share meaningful data with their healthcare providers.

It's not just about collecting data anymore; it's about leveraging that data for actionable health insights. This includes seamless integration with healthcare systems, enabling earlier detection of issues, personalized care plans and improved patient outcomes.

The future of healthtech lies at the intersection of accessibility and innovation, making health management an integral part of our daily lives.

The patient experience has evolved from being a supplementary consideration to becoming the cornerstone of healthtech innovation. Companies are prioritizing user-friendly interfaces, enhanced accessibility and personalized health journeys to create solutions that truly resonate with patients. From the onboarding process to ongoing use, technology must meet patients where they are – whether that's through intuitive designs, multilingual support or incorporating motivational features that sustain long-term engagement. This shift reflects the broader industry movement toward patient-centered care, emphasizing empowerment, better adherence and improved health outcomes.

The introduction and adoption of APCM [Advanced Primary Care Medicine] codes by CMS [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] is a game-changer for healthtech. These codes, which take effect at the beginning of 2025, underscore the growing emphasis on at-home health monitoring and remote care. The codes focus more on making sure that patients suffering from chronic conditions benefit from a continuity of care rather than on a specific number of minutes spent with a patient. 

By creating financial incentives for healthcare providers to adopt these technologies, CMS is catalyzing a shift toward advanced primary care services, with a shift to support longitudinal relationships between primary care providers and patients. This move validates the role of connected devices and services in chronic condition management and preventative health, paving the way for innovation and wider adoption in 2025.

MHN: What were some of this year's biggest surprises/most noteworthy events?

Robiliard: One standout moment was Apple's announcement of significant advancements in healthcare: integrating sleep apnea detection into the Apple Watch and exploring hearing aid functionality with AirPods. These innovations highlight the tech giant's continued push into the healthcare space, underscoring the growing trend of technology companies expanding their footprint in the health and wellness industry.

MHN: What do you think will happen with digital health funding in 2025, and why?

Robiliard: In 2025, digital health funding is likely to increasingly focus on established, well-capitalized players as the market consolidates around a handful of dominant actors. This trend reflects the ongoing maturation of the industry, with investors prioritizing stability, proven business models and scalability over speculative or early-stage ventures.

The consolidation of funding into fewer, larger companies will simplify the market, reducing fragmentation and enabling easier adoption and integration of solutions by both consumers and healthcare providers. This streamlined environment is expected to foster standardization across platforms and services, improving interoperability and creating a more cohesive and seamless user experience. Additionally, dominant players will leverage their resources to accelerate innovation in areas such as AI, remote patient monitoring and personalized care, further solidifying their market positions.

However, while the focus may shift toward established players, technological disruptors will always attract funding. Revolutionary ideas that challenge the status quo, offer groundbreaking solutions or open up entirely new opportunities in healthcare will continue to draw the attention of investors willing to take risks for high potential rewards. This dynamic ensures that innovation will remain a driving force in the digital health landscape.

MHN: Will mergers and acquisitions remain a large part of the digital health space next year?

Robiliard: Yes, mergers and acquisitions will likely remain a significant part of the digital health space next year, and they are increasingly essential for the industry's evolution. Many smaller players in the market struggle to achieve long-term viability due to limited resources, scalability challenges and the high costs of competing in a crowded and highly regulated landscape. M&A activities offer these smaller companies a lifeline, enabling them to integrate into larger, more established organizations that can provide the funding, infrastructure and market access needed for their solutions to thrive.

For larger companies, acquisitions represent an opportunity to enhance their portfolios, expand into new markets and accelerate innovation by integrating cutting-edge technologies and talent from startups. 

As the digital health industry continues to mature, M&As will not only remain prevalent, but will also become a strategic necessity for fostering innovation, ensuring competitive advantage and meeting the growing demand for seamless, interoperable and impactful health solutions. 

MHN: How do you see AI's place in healthcare changing in 2025?

Robiliard: In 2025, AI's place in healthcare is likely to evolve from being a buzzword to a more tangible and impactful force as organizations shift from talking about AI to actively implementing and scaling its applications. Currently, AI garners significant attention, but the gap between hype and practical deployment remains wide. By 2025, we expect to see more organizations bridging this gap, focusing on real-world use cases where AI can deliver measurable value.

The primary role of AI will likely solidify around two core areas: enhancing patient support and reducing the workflow burden for healthcare providers. 

For patients, AI will play a critical role in delivering intelligent insights that empower individuals to better manage their health. 

For healthcare providers, AI will focus on automating repetitive tasks, streamlining administrative workflows and enabling clinical decision support with concrete, actionable insights. 

Moreover, as trust in AI systems grows and regulations surrounding their use become clearer, we'll likely see wider adoption of AI in areas like population health management, drug discovery and even surgical assistance. 

While challenges like data privacy, bias in algorithms and integration into existing workflows remain, the potential for AI to transform healthcare by making it more efficient, personalized and proactive is undeniable.

Ultimately, while not every company talking about AI in healthcare today will deliver on its promises, those that succeed will drive the next wave of innovation, proving that AI is not just a buzzword, but a transformative tool for the future of healthcare.