Part 1: To Make Any Imprint, Amazon Must Apply Its Composable Principles to Create a New Ecosystem
Many Healthcare disruptors are circling telehealth and DTx (digital therapeutics).
We shouldn’t therefore be surprised to see two more vendors throw their hat into the telehealth ring in the US: Amazon, the power brand with combined eCommerce and hyper-scaler credentials; and Babylon Health, the digital primary care SME on a mission to deliver universal, affordable, and value-based care.
But should we care about two players which have only been operating on the fringes of the Healthcare spectrum? Can Jeff Bezos and Ali Parsa sufficiently penetrate a market as complex as the US to make a difference?
As latecomers, and until recently sitting on the same side of the Healthcare fence as partners, they face the urgency to scale, amplify reach, and build momentum. And from what we’ve seen most recently, although their strategic responses differ, they both clearly realise that their success hinges on the ability to tether their services directly to the clinical setting. Game on.
I believe that Amazon and Babylon each views telehealth as the front door to something bigger. But I also believe the only way they can fulfil this ambition is to embrace ‘Ecosystem 2.0’ , the model we need to see across Healthcare, which is underpinned by a culture of composability.
Such an ecosystem celebrates open innovation, federation, and risk: reward, so it’s not for everyone. It also opens the door for more telcos to realise their Healthcare ambition, if they step up. Payers, providers, and Pharma can also join to exploit their own assets and co-create to pioneer.
In this two-part profile, I’ll unpack each organisation in relation to how I think they’re laying the groundwork to move towards this new model.
First up, Amazon.
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