Abbott at HLTH: The Future of Healthcare

Abbott takes center stage at HLTH conference to spotlight patient-empowering healthcare.

Strategy and Strength|Oct.06, 2023

Abbott is excited to be at HLTH this year, where we’ll outline our vision for the future of healthcare, one that empowers people to optimize their care from the hospital and the doctor’s office to their home – and every step in between. We’ll also shine a light on some of our newest technologies that help people do just that.

Here is an overview of where Abbott will be leading the conversation at HLTH.

Abbott on the Main Stage
Abbott Chairman and CEO Robert Ford will deliver a presentation on HLTH’s Main Stage. Titled “Putting Health in Your Hands,” Mr. Ford’s keynote will delve into how healthcare and connected technologies, such as biowearables, are converging in ways that offer people personalized insights into what their bodies are saying and put them in greater control of their health. The result: a healthcare system that is more responsive, more connected and more tailored to each person’s needs – and uses language we can all understand. 

Details: Tuesday, Oct. 10, 9:20 a.m., HLTH Main Stage


Managing the Cost of Diabetes Care
Diabetes is one of the most expensive chronic conditions to manage. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), medical expenditures for people with diabetes is $16,752 a year, or 2.3 times more than for people without diabetes.1

The panel discussion “The Diabetes Money Pit” will explore how to reduce costs for diabetes care, from diagnosis and treatment to prevention. Jared Watkin, senior vice president, Diabetes Care, will be among the panelists and highlight how Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitoring technology helps people with diabetes improve their glucose control and reduces diabetes-related costs for patients and health systems2, all while costing substantially less than other CGMs.

Details: Sunday, Oct. 8, 2 p.m., Moon Stage


A Firsthand Account of Making a Medical Marvel

There are heart-to-heart conversations, and then there are conversations between two chambers of the heart.

AVEIR DR, the world’s first FDA-approved dual chamber leadless pacemaker, featuring groundbreaking technology that uses the blood’s naturally conductive characteristics to relay messages between each pacemaker. In other words, the two devices use a person’s own body to wirelessly “talk” to each other and synchronize pacing in two chambers of the heart. Smaller, shorter and thinner than a triple A battery, AVEIR DR is a leap forward so revolutionary that one cardiac specialist called its approval “an ‘invention-of-the-internet’-type of moment.”

Vish Charan, divisional vice president, product development for Abbott’s Cardiac Rhythm Management business, led the team that developed AVEIR DR. During his Tech Talk, Charan will tell the story of how nearly a decade of research, development, and innovation resulted in this first-of-its-kind medical device that is just one of the recent additions to Abbott’s broad cardiovascular care portfolio.

Details: Tuesday, Oct. 10, 3:30 p.m., Tech Talk Stage


Food as Medicine

Mary Pittman, DrPH, president and CEO of the Public Health Institute, will moderate “Nourishing Our Nation,” a panel discussion on the many ways that food impacts health. While the logical connection between a good diet and good health seems simple, the reality is often more complicated due to access, social determinants, and other factors.

Pittman is an advisor to Abbott’s Center for Malnutrition Solutions, which the company started in 2021. The Abbott Center for Malnutrition Solutions applies Abbott’s science and expertise in collaboration with others to tackle malnutrition around the world. The work of the Center also contributes to Abbott’s 2030 Sustainability Plan ambition to transform care for malnutrition, chronic disease and infectious disease with a goal to improve the lives of more than 3 billion people by decade’s end.

Details: Sunday, Oct. 8, 3:40 p.m., Earth Stage


References

1 People with diagnosed diabetes incur average medical expenditures of $16,752 per year, of which about $9,601 is attributed to diabetes. On average, people with diagnosed diabetes have medical expenditures approximately 2.3 times higher than what expenditures would be in the absence of diabetes. The Cost of Diabetes | ADA

2 Sensor-Based Technology: Bringing Value to People with Diabetes and the Healthcare System in an Evolving World - PMC (nih.gov)

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

AVEIR™ DR

FreeStyle Libre 14 Day, FreeStyle Libre 2 and FreeStyle Libre 3 systems

Failure to use FreeStyle Libre 14 day, FreeStyle Libre 2 or FreeStyle Libre 3 systems as instructed in labeling may result in missing a severe low or high glucose event and/or making a treatment decision, resulting in injury. If glucose alarms and readings do not match symptoms or expectations, use a fingerstick value from a blood glucose meter for treatment decisions. Seek medical attention when appropriate or contact Abbott at 855-632-8658 or FreeStyleLibre.us for safety info.

AVEIR™ DR

Rx Only

Brief Summary: Prior to using these devices, please review the Instructions for Use for a complete listing of indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions, potential adverse events and directions for use.

Indications: The Aveir™ Leadless Pacemaker system is indicated for management of one or more of the following permanent conditions: Syncope, Pre-syncope, Fatigue, Disorientation. Rate-modulated pacing is indicated for patients with chronotropic incompetence, and for those who would benefit from increased stimulation rates concurrent with physical activity. Dual-chamber pacing is indicated for patients exhibiting: Sick sinus syndrome, Chronic, symptomatic second- and third-degree AV block, Recurrent Adams-Stokes syndrome, Symptomatic bilateral bundle-branch block when tachyarrhythmia and other causes have been ruled out. Atrial pacing is indicated for patients with: Sinus node dysfunction and normal AV and intraventricular conduction systems. Ventricular pacing is indicated for patients with: Significant bradycardia and normal sinus rhythm with only rare episodes of AV block or sinus arrest, Chronic atrial fibrillation, Severe physical disability.

Intended Use: The Aveir™ Leadless Pacemaker (LP) is designed to provide bradycardia pacing as a pulse generator with built-in battery and electrodes for implantation in the right ventricle and/or right atrium. The LP is intended to provide sensing of intrinsic cardiac signals and delivery of cardiac pacing therapy within the implanted chamber for the target treatment group. The LP is also intended to operate optionally with another co-implanted LP to provide dual-chamber pacing therapy.

The Aveir™ Delivery Catheter is intended to be used in the peripheral vasculature and the cardiovascular system to deliver and manipulate an LP. Delivery and manipulation includes implanting an LP within the target chamber of the heart.

Contraindications: Use of the Aveir™ Leadless Pacemaker is contraindicated in these cases:

  • Use of any pacemaker is contraindicated in patients with a co-implanted ICD because high-voltage shocks could damage the pacemaker and the pacemaker could reduce shock effectiveness.
  • Single-chamber ventricular demand pacing is relatively contraindicated in patients who have demonstrated pacemaker syndrome, have retrograde VA conduction, or suffer a drop in arterial blood pressure with the onset of ventricular pacing.
  • Programming of rate-responsive pacing is contraindicated in patients with intolerance of high sensor driven rates.
  • Use is contraindicated in patients with an implanted vena cava filter or mechanical tricuspid valve because of interference between these devices and the delivery system during implantation.
  • Persons with known history of allergies to any of the components of this device may suffer an allergic reaction to this device. Prior to use on the patient, the patient should be counseled on the materials (listed in the Product Materials section of the IFU) contained in the device and a thorough history of allergies must be discussed.

 

Adverse Events: Potential complications associated with the use of the Aveir™ Leadless Pacemaker system are the same as with the use of single or dual chamber pacemakers with active fixation pacing leads including, but not limited to: Cardiac perforation, Cardiac tamponade, Pericardial effusion, Pericarditis, Valve damage and/or regurgitation, Heart failure, Pneumothorax/hemothorax, Cardiac arrhythmias, Diaphragmatic/phrenic nerve stimulation / extra-cardiac stimulation, Palpitations, Hypotension, Syncope, Cerebrovascular accident, Infection, Hypersensitivity reaction to device materials, contrast media, medications, or direct toxic effect of contrast media on kidney function, Pacemaker syndrome, Inability to interrogate or program the LP due to programmer or LP malfunction, Intermittent or complete loss of pacing and/or sensing due to dislodgement or mechanical malfunction of the LP (non-battery related), Loss of capture or sensing due to embolization or fibrotic tissue response at the electrode, Increased capture threshold, Inappropriate sensor response, Interruption of desired LP function due to electrical interference, either electromyogenic or electromagnetic, Battery malfunction/ premature battery depletion, Device-related complications (Premature deployment, Device dislodgement/embolization of foreign material, Helix distortion), Death. As with any percutaneous catheterization procedure, potential complications include, but are not limited to: Vascular access complications; such as perforation, dissection, puncture, groin pain, Bleeding or hematoma, Thrombus formation, Thromboembolism, Air embolism, Local and systemic infection, Peripheral nerve damage. General surgery risks and complications from comorbidities; such as hypotension, dyspnea, respiratory failure, syncope, pneumonia, hypertension, cardiac failure, reaction to sedation, renal failure, anemia, and death.