What is Personalized Medicine?

PM is largely the consequence of synergy between two unprecedented technologies both of which appeared  during the last decade of the 20^th century -- the human genome project and the internet.

What exactly is "personalized medicine" (PM)?

Definitions vary, but essentially, it refers to a “one size does not fit all” strategy of healthcare delivery.  This means that a drug efficacious for treating asthmatics in the general population may not be right for every individual with asthma.

Other ways of expressing PM include, “Right drug, right patient, right dose, right time” and P4 medicine (personalized, predictive, preventative, participatory).

Many scientists and physicians may also refer to this as "precision medicine," though perhaps more commonly "genomic medicine." I take a broader view of PM that goes beyond genomic medicine, although the latter is certainly a core component.

I'm also interested in how healthcare and clinical practice has become more personalized due to the internet, which allow patients and doctors to share medical information that ultimately enhances each user’s experience. Social media platforms (e.g., blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) are a particularly important part of this communications mix, allowing patients to help create greater personalization.

Note: The Twitter hashtag #PM101 identifies all news and journal articles relevant to the medical elective I teach: PM101.