Trend Longevity Rating
real progress in parts; other parts stalled or got overtaken
How this trend held up
The book's warning was vindicated by hard evidence it couldn't have cited yet — most notably a widely reported 2019 study showing a major U.S. health-risk algorithm systematically underestimated Black patients' needs, and the well-documented racial bias in pulse oximeters that became a public issue during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the corporate response the book anticipated — sustained investment in diversifying health-tech leadership and design — has not followed a straight line. The DEI initiatives that expanded through the late 2010s and early 2020s have faced significant rollback since 2023, including at a policy level following the 2025 change in federal administration. The diagnosis was accurate; the fix the authors hoped for has been inconsistent.
Every past trend prediction is re-reviewed and graded with a Trend Longevity Rating, measuring how much each originally curated trend still matters years later.
