Recent advancements in medicine, technology, and social structures have significantly increased human longevity. However, a McKinsey study and recent Forbes article discusses how the proportion of people living in “moderate” and “poor” health remains unchanged.

This presents a global challenge but also an opportunity to enhance healthspan — the length of time that a person is healthy, not just alive.

The Forbes article discusses key points when it comes to the concept of healthspan. Ultimately, society has an ethical responsibility to ensure long, healthy lives for everyone. This requires a proactive approach to healthcare management involving good decisions from key stakeholders: primary care physicians, specialists, care managers, and patients.

One large obstacle is the current state of healthcare. Rising costs, burnout, and labor shortages are all current burdens on the system. A solution to alleviating these challenges and helping extend longer lives? Innovation.

In the past decade, health technology adoption has surged. Healthcare orgs are now more adept (though still slower than other industries) at using technology, and a new generation of clinicians is embracing these tools. Patients, too, are also more open to virtual care. To meet rising consumer expectations, healthcare providers must leverage big data, advanced analytics, and AI to improve access to care, close care gaps, and address the longevity crisis.

The article continues to iterate that addressing primary care access issues is vital, especially as it becomes scarcer. Innovative care delivery models, including at-home and virtual care, offer cost-effective and patient-preferred alternatives for certain conditions. Virtual-first access can streamline primary care, reducing administrative burdens and enhancing provider satisfaction amid workforce shortages and burnout. Increasing healthspan requires individuals to take ownership of their health.

Of course, we can’t discuss healthspan without condering the role of AI. Strategic use of AI is essential in addressing the longevity crisis, enabling personalized and holistic patient care. By better understanding patient populations, AI can facilitate tailored outreach, improving health outcomes.

Our mission aligns perfectly with this vision: using accurate point-of-care diagnostics to tackle diseases. We support companies that share this mindset. Our portfolio company, Fountain Life, believes humanity is amidst a healthspan revolution. Fountain Life’s plan to use advanced diagnostics to catch diseases early can help patients predict, detect, and reverse disease progression, and therefore experience a longer healthspan.

Creating a longer healthspan is a key opportunity and obligation, requiring a shift from a reactive, hospital-focused healthcare system to one where public and private sectors collaborate to enhance health outcomes, embrace technology, and empower the healthcare workforce to provide better care for longer, healthier lives.