Can prevention become healthcare’s new standard?

Our traditional healthcare systems treat illnesses after symptoms have appeared. Sadly, for some, by this stage, the damage has already been done. Meaningful medical intervention often comes after months of tests and analysis.

With aging populations, rising healthcare costs, and more people with chronic diseases, public healthcare systems are under stress. The way we address healthcare clearly has to change. What if doctors could treat diseases before they appeared? This idea reflects a mindset shift underway in healthcare, towards the goal of prevention, rather than cure.

This transition was the focus of a recent Esade Impact Talk organized by the Esade Center for Social Impact, eWorks, Esade Careers, and Norrsken House Barcelona. The discussion brought together two entrepreneurs working at the intersection of science, technology, and healthcare innovation: Pol Cervera, co-founder and CEO of BASE4 BIOSCIENCES, and Carla Maté, CEO and co-founder of D-SIGHT. Moderated by Aline Noizet, digital health expert and Esade MBA alumna, the conversation explored how advances in data, biology, and translational science could enable healthcare systems to intervene before disease changes patients’ lives.

Prevention is becoming a business and healthcare priority

There’s ample evidence that preventing illness saves money. According to the World Health Organization, chronic diseases cause the majority of deaths globally and place a huge burden on healthcare systems everywhere. Older populations are living longer, but often dealing with conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative disorders. This only adds to the financial pressure.

With new technologies, such as genomics, wearable devices, AI-powered diagnostics, and predictive analytics, we are getting closer to prevention, as health risks can be flagged earlier. Care is becoming more personalized, and patients can be monitored continuously rather than relying on sporadic hospital visits.

But technology can’t solve every healthcare issue. The medical datasets upon which treatment plans are based were gathered from the population, but predominantly from men. “Women were not included in clinical trials until 1993,” says Cervera. “We have not yet generated enough data on women’s health. This has created a deficit of medical knowledge that still has an impact today.”

That is why, following the death of a co-founder from a misdiagnosed cancer, Cervera’s BASE4 BIOSCIENCES began focusing on the lack of structured biological data related to women’s health and the consequences this has for preventive medicine.

The women’s health data gap

BASE4 BIOSCIENCES is developing what Cervera describes as a “Human Biology Atlas.” The process involves taking samples of blood and genetic information, performing transcriptomics, and analyzing clinical data, as well as gathering information from wearable technologies. With this material, scientists gain a better understanding of the body’s changes over time, which helps identify diseases before symptoms are visible.

This approach could lead to more personalized prevention. By analyzing how organs and tissues age, researchers could aim to identify subclinical changes before disease progresses into more serious conditions. Particular attention is being paid to women’s health, including biological changes that occur between fertility and menopause.

AI’s potential in healthcare depends entirely on the quality of the underlying data. “If you want great models, you need great data,” says Cervera. The challenge is getting hold of that data. Much of the information needed to build reliable predictive models remains fragmented, inaccessible, or unstructured across hospitals and healthcare institutions.

Wearable technologies are taking on a growing role in preventive healthcare. Devices that monitor sleep, glucose levels, heart rate, and physical activity are generating enormous amounts of real-world health data. Cervera describes these tools as “complementary” and not a replacement for clinical analysis. But they are useful in creating a more complete picture of patients’ health over time.

From invasive treatment to early intervention

While BASE4 BIOSCIENCES is spearheading work on predictive health models, D-SIGHT is centered on diabetic retinopathy, a disease that affects millions of people living with diabetes and can eventually lead to blindness.

A key problem is that even though patients are often diagnosed early, treatment isn’t forthcoming until the disease becomes severe. “The only solution is literally ‘wait and see’,” says Maté.

The treatment is both invasive and expensive, involving repeated injections into the eye. Nor is it always a cure, with many patients still losing their sight. D-SIGHT has developed a simple eye drop designed to protect retinal nerves before irreversible damage occurs.

Maté emphasizes that meaningful healthcare advances do not always emerge from AI or digital platforms alone. “Innovation comes from biology,” she says.

In the case of diabetic retinopathy, earlier intervention could help patients maintain independence, continue working, and avoid the emotional and economic consequences of vision loss. Using eyedrops instead of injections into the eye is also less likely to cause pain and anxiety for patients.

Why science alone is not enough

Academic research has a crucial role to play alongside technology and biology, but the three fields are often out of sync. Both Cervera and Maté acknowledged the friction that often emerges between academia, startups, investors, and healthcare systems.

It can be difficult to turn scientific research developed inside universities or hospitals into real healthcare startups because of regulatory processes, technology transfer agreements, and institutional bureaucracy. The pace of the academic sector is often too slow to attract investors, develop products, and enter the market.

Maté stresses that “having a business mindset from the beginning is essential if research projects are ultimately going to survive in the market and attract long-term investment.”

That being said, impact-driven healthcare companies should not focus exclusively on financial returns. “We are here to make some impact,” says Cervera. “If we want to generate this impact, we need real partners who trust in this impact.”

Prevention as the next healthcare playbook

The healthcare sector has a way to go before moving fully into prevention. To reach this goal requires an interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers, entrepreneurs, clinicians, investors, engineers, and business professionals.

But we are heading in a positive direction. Earlier diagnosis, personalized interventions, and better health data could transform not only patient outcomes but also the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems themselves.

In time, the goal may shift from treating disease after symptoms appear to ensuring that millions of people never develop those symptoms in the first place.