Precision medicine is a highly personalized approach to prevention and treatment that takes into account individual variables in genes, environment and lifestyle. This customized approach allows doctors and researchers to more accurately predict which treatment and prevention strategy will be effective for certain groups of people.
Precision medicine is in direct contrast to a more generalized one-size-fits-all approach, which aims to develop treatment and prevention plans for the average person, with less attention given to the differences and variables between individuals.
Though the term is relatively new, the concept of precision medicine has been a part of the health care field for years. For example, patients in need of a blood transfusion are only given blood that precisely matches their blood type. Precision medicine uses these same principles, placing the importance of specificity first when considering treatment strategies and options.
It’s expected that precision medicine will become a major focus of federal funding of research and an essential method of providing the best possible care for citizens of Indiana and beyond.