In my last entry, I discussed noticing the growth of online summits. A theme from many of these talks is the concept of individualized medicine, and that is something I want to discuss further.
What is individualized medicine? I don’t present a formal definition here, but it is essentially what you would suspect – medicine that is based on an individual. It is not a “one size fits all” approach to treating someone. Treatment plans are created that focus on the individual’s history, diagnosis, preferences, values, and so on.
While some of these treatment strategies are not necessarily available yet, there are some ideas about what individualized medicine will entail. An example is using medication. At this point, most people will get a dose that is prescribed to everyone, say 25 mg a day of a drug. But, what if the person only needs 8 mg a day to show a benefit? What if they need 42 mg a day? What if the drug doesn’t work for them at all? Individualized medicine will take this into account.
Another aspect of individualized medicine is realizing that a treatment that helps one may not help anyone else. In this respect, people may receive the same diagnosis but may experience different treatments. Of course, creating these individualized plans will no doubt take more time, and I am hopeful that this will lead to fewer and more meaningful appointments throughout the day. Of course, someone has to pay for it all, but again I am hopeful this is the way to go.
Overall, it is exciting to see the discussion and steps that are being taking towards individualized medicine. Although we are all alike in many ways, everyone has unique genetics, behavior, and biochemistry (among other things) that should be taken into account when being treated for an illness or disease. I look forward to seeing this concept continue to progress.