ICEEhealth is getting closer and closer. And with each passing day, our hearts beat a little faster. But, hei! We have some great heart rate monitor apps so we know when is time to take a break 😉

But this is a fact: there are 165k mobile health apps in the world. How many are reliable? Which one is better for me?

Relax, we’re in good hands because Alistair Wickens is coming to ICEEhealth to tell us the latest news about apps and wearables in healthcare.

One of the founding entrepreneurs of roadtohealth, Alistair is the driving force behind the award-winning mobile health application Quealth.

Before his speech (ICEEhealth Stage, June 10), Alistair gave some answers to Lorena Macnaughtan/ ICEEhealth Event Director:

What is digital health for you?

          – The exponential rise of the processing power of technology is happening right before our eyes, at exactly the same time as an exponential decrease in the cost of processor technology.  

          – The implications are enormous — as we are on the verge of a whole new world where neither the cost of technology nor its capabilities should be a barrier to solving some of the world’s population health issues around diabetes, obesity and so on.  

          – The potential is greater than we ever imagined and is possibly more significant than we thought, even as little as 6 months ago!  

What is your opinion on the prospects of health apps for better health?

          – You can broadly split the 165,000 “health” apps available in the market into three categories – Fitness, Health and Clinical, of which roughly 80% fall into the fitness group – and this is giving rise to a huge volume of data which is “related, but not connected”.  

          – As these apps and their associated devices become more intelligent, we’re likely to see the emergence of a new breed of device which handles the interpretation of the data which means consumers like you and I can understand our healthcare data without reference to a qualified professional.  

          – Apps such as Quealth are now coming to the fore because they help the consumer make sense of the tsunami of health and lifestyle-related data being presented to them.  

You are one of the few companies which pivoted in Digital Health – what are some of the lessons learned so far?

          – This is a subject matter which would take some time to unpack, but there is one underlying and fundamental lesson.  

          – In a market which is moving so fast that you miss something if you blink, you must re-engineer your business to become totally agile — and this includes every part of your business, including your decision-making processes, your culture and, where appropriate, your people.  

          – If you don’t, you may be building a short-term business.

What excites you about ICEEhealth?

          – The opportunity to “talk digital health” with entrepreneurs and innovators away from the excitement and buzz of London and Silicon Valley!

The complete ICEEhealth Agenda is here.

Tickets still available.