Preventive healthcare: Proactively preventing illness and saving lives

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• March 25, 2022

Insight summary

The shift from reactive to preventive healthcare is transforming lives by enabling early interventions and lifestyle adjustments that enhance well-being and reduce costs. Through legislation like the Affordable Care Act and technological advancements such as deep learning algorithms, preventive measures are becoming more accessible, especially to those who might not have the finances for traditional treatments. This trend is having a broad impact on individuals, corporations, and governments, leading to healthier populations, more productive workforces, and more efficient public healthcare systems.

Preventive healthcare context

Traditionally, healthcare services have come into play as soon as a patient becomes ill. However, there are signs that healthcare providers are changing their approach and moving away from a reactive approach to a preventive healthcare paradigm. Preventive healthcare is premised on various screening procedures that often lead to early healthcare interventions, saving patients money, and improving healthcare outcomes.

Through the US’ Affordable Care Act, Americans do not have to pay to receive a mammogram, colonoscopy, vaccine, blood pressure check, or birth control. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that patients use them more often when these services are made free. This trend is especially applicable to those who do not have the finances to pay for these types of treatments and services.

In another development, a team from the Massachussetts Institute of Technology developed a deep learning algorithm that can screen for and identify early-stage melanoma, a type of tumor responsible for the majority of skin-related cancer deaths worldwide. At the University of Washington, researchers are developing a machine learning tool that uses the smartphone or webcam camera to measure a person’s pulse and respiration rate using a real-time video of that person’s face.

Disruptive impact 

The shift towards preventative healthcare can have a significant impact on individuals by empowering them with knowledge and tools to manage their health proactively. By focusing on early detection and lifestyle adjustments, people may not only enhance their overall well-being but also reduce the risk of severe health complications in the future. This approach can lead to a higher quality of life and may even extend life expectancy. Furthermore, the reduced reliance on extensive medical treatments can alleviate the financial burden on families, making healthcare more accessible to all.

From a corporate perspective, the emphasis on preventative healthcare can lead to a healthier workforce, which in turn may increase productivity and reduce absenteeism. Companies may need to invest in wellness programs and health education, fostering a culture that prioritizes well-being. By doing so, they can create a supportive environment that encourages employees to take charge of their health, leading to potential savings on healthcare costs in the long run. This trend may also open new markets for businesses specializing in health and wellness products, creating opportunities for growth and diversification.

Governments, too, stand to benefit from a societal shift towards preventative healthcare. By promoting early interventions and healthy living, governments can potentially reduce the strain on public healthcare systems. This approach may lead to more efficient allocation of resources, allowing for better care in other critical areas of healthcare. Governments may need to collaborate with educational institutions, healthcare providers, and private sectors to create comprehensive policies and programs that support this trend, ensuring that the benefits are widespread and sustainable.

Implications of preventive healthcare

Wider implications of preventive healthcare may include:

• Helping save medical costs as patients could catch illnesses before they become serious since severe conditions are typically less expensive to treat when found and addressed at their earliest stages.


• Helping people live longer, healthier lives because they can take steps to safeguard their health as soon as signs of possible illness arise.


• Saving medical costs for national healthcare systems as fewer people would need to be admitted to hospitals, taking up valuable public resources.


• Eventually leading to the elimination of lifestyle diseases prevalent in modern society, such as obesity and hypertension, as members of the public become more informed about how their lifestyle choices affect their long-term health.


• A shift in medical education towards prevention and early intervention, leading to a new generation of healthcare professionals with specialized skills in these areas.


• The development of new technologies focused on early detection and prevention, leading to a more personalized approach to healthcare.


• Potential job displacement in certain medical specialties that focus on late-stage treatments, leading to a need for retraining and career adaptation.


• Possible over-reliance on self-diagnosis and prevention measures, leading to a neglect of professional medical advice and potential mismanagement of health conditions.


• The risk of widening health disparities if preventative measures and technologies are not accessible to all, leading to unequal benefits across different socio-economic groups.


• Ethical concerns related to data privacy and consent in the use of personal health information for preventative care, leading to potential legal challenges and public mistrust.

Questions to consider

• Do you think at-home and wearable technology can help people to become more responsible for their own health?


• Do you make use of preventative healthcare screening tools? If so, have you noticed an improvement in your health?