Individualized Medicine
Individualized medicine, or personalized medicine, is a medical model that emphasizes the customization of
personalized health care.
With individualized medicine, all decisions and practices are more tailored to individual patients. Factors such as family history, social circumstances, environment, and behaviors are typically considered, but individualized medicine also includes the use of genetic information to select or optimize the patient's preventative or therapeutic care.
The use of individualized medicine by
healthcare professionals is becoming easier and easier, with the use of advanced molecular profiling technologies, including proteomic profiling, metabolomic analysis, and genetic testing.
Essentially, individualized or personalized medicine is an extension of traditional clinical medicine with the addition of genetics research.
Traditional clinical diagnosis and management would look at a patient's clinical signs and symptoms, medical and family history. Data from the laboratory and imaging evaluation is also used to diagnose and treat the illness. Typically, this type of treatment is considered reactionary.
With individualized medicine, more preventative measures can occur. By looking at the role of genes in human development and physiology, specialists can account for some of the genetic variability between individuals.
Individualized Medicine is useful in:
The use of technologies to advance personalized medicine could help to develop a more efficient drug development process, and improve the quality of care for patients as well as allow doctors to build new lines of service based on prevention and wellness.
More information and public education about the benefits of individualized medicine should be available to the public so as to improve its widespread acceptance. Whether you are looking for an injectable medicine or even a
vitamin supplement, individualized medicine is an important consideration for every patient.