Here’s a hard truth: public health systems will likely never adequately fund preventative care, even though financial and economic analysis shows it to be an obvious win.
The Productivity Commission has estimated that improving the health of people in fair or poor condition would add $4 billion a year to Australia’s GDP. More recent Australian government figures suggest every dollar invested in preventive health saves an estimated $14.30 in healthcare and related costs.
As a GP, I see firsthand how effective a proactive approach can be. It’s not only about saving money for patients and the health system, though that is a key benefit. Most important is the vastly positive impact on individuals and their families.
The problem is finding the money. Without a significant increase in total funding, any new spending would have to be taken out of hospitals and acute care, which is not viable. Ultimately, acute care will continue to dominate health budgets. Someone who is already sick will always be at the top of the queue over someone trying to avoid getting sick.
Because of this, preventive care must increasingly be driven by consumers who value it and are willing to pay for it. Those who take an interest in their health are less likely to develop chronic conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease.
Covid was a turning point. Humanity was forced to confront its own mortality, and people everywhere began taking health more seriously. Even misinformation and protests around masks and vaccines reflected a new intensity of awareness and discussion about health and proactive behaviour.
Public information campaigns, by contrast, tend to have limited success in changing behaviour. The overall impact is typically modest. Consumers rarely respond well to fear-based messaging — especially when it competes with the far more seductive marketing of the products they’re told to avoid: junk food, alcohol and tobacco.
A more effective strategy is to link health to opportunity, and to make preventive measures easier to access. Wearable health monitoring devicessuch as smartwatches and rings can detect early warning signs and encourage positive habits through personalised feedback.
The recent surge in “weight loss” drugs (GLP-1 receptor agonists) is another catalyst for consumer curiosity and proactivity around preventive health. These drugs have existed for years as diabetes treatments, but only recently became widely available. Until then, most people didn’t know they existed, let alone how to access them.
As clinicians, we need to recognise where patients are on the behavioural change spectrum. Someone who is “pre-contemplative” isn’t yet ready to quit smoking or make other major lifestyle or health changes.
But a patient who chooses to undergo elective tests such as scans has already crossed a threshold. They’ve become curious about their health and moved into a proactive mindset.
Critical to preventive and proactive care is informed consent. Every intervention carries some degree of risk. For example, a full-body scan might detect something that turns out to be harmless but still triggers further tests and unnecessary anxiety. An unusual lump can turn out to be completely benign.
That’s why responsible providers must educate consumers about both the risks and benefits of new technologies and treatments — whether that’s a weight-loss drug, a blood test, or some kind of imaging procedure.
When founding OneMRI, we set out to make scans more affordable over time, but without ever compromising on quality.
While our scans are reviewed by radiologists and discussed with doctors, we also stress that our imaging complements — not replaces — other screening or diagnostic tests that may be more appropriate for specific medical concerns.
Encouraging curiosity and investment in health is vital, but it must be grounded in education and informed consent. It’s about ensuring education and informed consent, while also giving consumers opportunities to be proactive in a way that gives them better insight into their bodies.
A booming space
The global preventive healthcare market is forecast to reach USD773 billion by 2034, yet prevention still accounts for only a sliver of public spending. In NSW, it may be as little as 2% of the health budget.
Until public health systems can afford to invest more fully in prevention — which is improbable anytime soon — it’s up to consumers to take action and invest in a proactive approach.
In an age where AI and tools like ChatGPT make people more informed on health than ever, we have a rare opportunity. Technology can support, not supplant, clinicians — sparking curiosity and deepening people’s understanding of their own health.
Radiology is especially well placed to lead this shift. As the most technology-driven branch of medicine, it offers tools and insights that can empower patients in ways never before possible.
But this opportunity extends across the entire health system. The tools exist. The need is clear. Consumers are ready for greater control and deeper insight into their own health.
We now have the chance to reimagine healthcare around the individual, with curiosity, autonomy and agency at its core. As someone working at the intersection of health and technology, I’m genuinely optimistic about what comes next.