As a testament to the consumerization of healthcare, Abbott President and CEO Robert Ford will deliver a keynote at CES 2022, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) reported today. Ford's keynote will be the first time in CES history that a healthcare company will take the mainstage for a keynote at the show, CTA reported in a news release.

Abbott's FreeStyle Libre technology continues to advance continuous glucose monitoring, and its BinaxNOW COVID-19 tests have served at-home testers (despite some controversy).

"We see a future of digitization, decentralization, and democratization," Abbott shared on its Web site as it announced Ford's keynote. A group of Abbott’s top scientists, engineers, inventors, and partners will join Ford at CES to "outline where the company sees the future of health technology is headed and how we'll get there," Abbott reported.

Added Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA, in the CTA release: “Technology improves lives, and now more than ever, we are witnessing technology’s incredible impact on healthcare, allowing us to take better control of our health. We’ve seen a rapid shift in healthcare innovation, with technology leading the charge to bring quality healthcare to all global citizens. We are thrilled to welcome Robert to the CES keynote stage to share more about Abbott’s vision for the future of healthcare.”

CES will also offer conference sessions on health tech innovations as well as the Digital Health Studio featuring interviews with industry thought leaders on health trends.

“CES is the ideal stage to spotlight how technology is allowing people to take control of their health,” Abbott’s Ford stated in the CES release. “Health is at the center of our ability to live a full life, and the acceleration of health technology has the potential to improve more lives in more places than ever before. We look forward to sharing some of the latest health tech advancements and future possibilities at CES 2022.”

CES 2022 will take place in-person and digitally Wednesday, Jan. 5 to Saturday, Jan. 8. Visit  CES.tech for all CES 2022 updates.