Zain N., HOUSTON
With time and research, the empirical solutions based in conjecture and correlation are supplanted by solutions derived from the study of causality.
With a more precise understanding of the root cause, the result of a given intervention is highly predictable and the body of knowledge enables the field to practice at a level considered to be precision medicine.
In the realm of precision medicine, diseases are diagnosed precisely, and standardized therapy is predictably effective for each patient, diminishing the additional costs of variation in outcomes and in some cases highly skilled labor. This is the ultimate goal of the precision medicine movement and those seeking to improve the prognosis for those suffering from diseases in which there is currently little hope.
Precision medicine is an emerging approach for disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person.
This approach will allow doctors and researchers to predict more accurately which treatment and prevention strategies for a particular disease will work in which groups of people. It is in contrast to a one-size-fits-all approach, in which disease treatment and prevention strategies are developed for the average person, with less consideration for the differences between individuals.
Although the term “precision medicine” is relatively new, the concept has been a part of healthcare for many years. For example, a person who needs a blood transfusion is not given blood from a randomly selected donor; instead, the donor’s blood type is matched to the recipient to reduce the risk of complications. Although examples can be found in several areas of medicine, the role of precision medicine in day-to-day healthcare is relatively limited.
Researchers are conducting clinical research utilizing this approach to advance the science of diagnosing and treating hypertension
Precision Medicine is likely to expand to many areas of health and healthcare in coming years.