Healthcare will change completely with precision medicine – and it’s about time. It’s estimated that the US spent around $4.7 trillion in 2023. In the UK, the sum is a little less, but still astronomical – a £181.7 billion sum. Something has to change to ensure the outcomes of this almost unbelievable spending budget will improve patient care.
One of the areas that pot of money is funnelling is precision medicine. Read on to learn more.
The Need for a Personalised Approach in Medicine
Precision medicine indicates a complete overhaul of the current healthcare system. Until recently, medicine wasn’t tailored to individual patients. Precision medicine aims to tailor treatments or make treatment decisions specific and actually efficient. Is that the case now? Absolutely not. The result is enhancing effectiveness while reducing side effects.
For example, the main focus areas include Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, glaucoma and other neurodegenerative diseases usually affecting multiple systems. Patients can now have tailored treatment depending on their respective combinations of genetic material, the environment they live in, and the lifestyle choices they make.
Surgical Tools for Precision Results
Another area in which there have been significant advancements thanks to precision medicine is in surgical procedures. Surgeons are using numerous precision tools to improve patient outcomes and the efficiency of procedures.
Robotic arms equipped with AI capabilities can carry out complex operations accurately – most recently, it was a liver transplant in the US. Innovation with a new surgical retractor design using a light attachment also comes in handy, especially when dealing with delicate tissues, giving a lower profile for better access.
The integration of technology demonstrates how much potential exists.
Advances in Diagnostics and Treatment Through AI and Data Sharing
Modern technology has facilitated the collection and analysis of medical information, leading to accurate predictions regarding various outcomes like responses toward medication or illness progression among patients.
Massive data sets can now be entered into computers using algorithms based on artificial intelligence (AI) to sift through them before selecting appropriate treatments. Health status, genetic composition, and environmental exposures are essential considerations when predicting what might happen next concerning someone’s well-being – for example, in Alzheimer’s Disease.
And, record-keeping methods like Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative or NEI National Eye Institute Data Commons (only two examples) have made it possible for anyone interested in research work related to these ailments to access large volumes of data. The result? Better research.
Genetic Markers to Prevent Diseases or Improve Management
Identifying genetic markers, predicting risk levels for some illnesses and influencing treatment options is one area where outstanding progress has been made.
For example, APOEe4 mutation and other known genetic factors are massively affecting susceptibility towards Alzheimer’s – thus necessitating early intervention measures aimed at slowing down or preventing symptoms associated with this condition. And – polygenic risk scores derived from GWAS (genome-wide association studies) have proved to be quite handy in identifying individuals who may develop different ailments later in life. It’s creating possible implementation of preemptive strategies based on a person’s unique genetic background.
Precision medicine shifts the understanding of health care and disease prevention. It puts the entire focus on the patient and the outcome. Do you think this is the future of medicine? We do.
Beth is Cloudmineinc’s senior health editor and a certified personal trainer. She has over 10 years experience as a science journalist and is the author of two books. She deadlifts over 315 lbs.