In the field of medicine, the evolution of personalized medication and data-driven healthcare concepts has been booming in these years. The basic process of treatment is to provide medication that eliminates diseases with effectiveness and less toxicity. It is well-known that the same treatment or medication process is not suitable for every person slight changes need to be made based on the responsiveness of the body of an individual.
The concept of precision medicine is related in similar ways, it has become an effective approach to healthcare in transforming the medical treatment methods that are tailored to the uniqueness of the person. This approach depends on the genomic configuration, environment, lifestyle, and health factors to provide personalized treatment plans. In this article, we discuss more on this innovative method, its impacts, and its applications in reshaping the healthcare sector.
Defining Precision medicine
Precision medicine is a particular form of medicine that is done using information of a particular person like genomic or protein composition, responsiveness, sensitivity to disease, etc. This can be used in analyzing, treating, and preventing diseases or their effects. For example, treating cancer is caused due to mutation i.e., the slow accumulation of genetic changes and the formation of abnormal cells which grow at a faster rate. Here precision medicine uses a particular genetic information of the tumor and helps in diagnosis, and treatment plan to verify the efficacy of the treatment and apply changes if needed.
The word personalized medicine is often interchanged with precision medicine but according to the National Research Council personalized medicine is an old name that is similar to precision medicine. Precision medicine aims to detect a better approach with genetic factors to benefit doctors in delivering the best possible treatment to patients. Pharmacogenomics is a major part of precision medicine as it is a process that deals with the study of the effects of drugs on the human body. Hence it is helpful in clinical trials of precision medicines to identify the response and the accuracy of treatment.
Impacts of precision medicine
Precision medicine has a major impact on providing enhanced treatment and patient outcomes. By discovering the exact genomic factor of an individual and response rate medical professionals can make personalized treatment plans that will improve the health condition of the patient and provide better quality of life. With this approach, unnecessary therapies can be avoided and hence improving the quality of treatment in turn it also reduces errors, time consumption, and makes treatments cost-effective.
The drug development process is also optimized with precision medicine as it focuses on targeted therapies for a specific patient group. Hence pharmaceutical companies will get a structured way of manufacturing more effective and targeted drugs. The major beneficial factor is that it enables the doctor to identify a specific treatment plan for their patients. The integration of wearables and electronic health care records along with precision medicine improves the patient’s care by allowing detailed analysis of data related to the lifestyle of a patient.
Applications of Precision Medicine
Precision medicine has a wider application in the healthcare sector which is applicable in major areas from patient care to drug development. Some of them to be mentioned are:
The momentous application of precision medicine is in cancer treatment, it enables oncologists to identify or detect the pathway, and the pace at which tumor cells are growing which helps them to diagnose and help in treating precision surgical techniques. It can even help or provide the tactic to convert our immune system to fight against cancer.
This kind of medicine helps to study the abnormalities in the genetic diseases that might be inherited from parents to kids. With this, the causal variations can be determined and might solve the risk involved with it. Pharmacogenomics to discover to relate genetics and diseases and in turn study the response of the body.
Conclusion
Precision medicine is a momentous approach in healthcare that offers promising impacts on patient care according to the unique characteristics of a person. It has the potential to revolutionize disease management, improve patient outcomes, and drive advancements in drug development. It continues to evolve and play a key role in the future of healthcare.