Healthcare professionals have been working hard and experimenting with different treatments to find the most effective options for their patients. These professionals test different treatment styles, observe the patients, note the results, and work on improving the outcomes.
To reach precision, healthcare professionals use trial and error to ensure they find the most effective treatment possible. Healthcare providers in the modern world have all the tools and advanced levels of information, such as genetic information, digital health records, and genome research, to make medical treatment as precise and personalized as possible.
At MyconciergeMD we specialize in personalized and precision medicine! We are able to review your medical history and recommend specific testing and treatments tailored to your individual and specific needs. Contact us today at 877-760-3570 to schedule your appointment today.
What Can Genotyping Tell You?
At MyConciergeMD, we specialize in genotyping. We can help you learn about your risk for specific health conditions and provide recommendations for the best treatments based on your individual genetics.
Genotyping is a valuable tool for scientists to analyze a variety of genetic variations, including single nucleotide variants, copy number variants, and large structural modifications in DNA. The use of high-throughput genomic technologies like next-generation sequencing (NGS) and microarrays can provide enhanced insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying disease etiology.
The analysis of genomic targets in relation to disease requires precision and agility. Genotyping data analysis tools offer the capacity to analyze millions of markers and probes to uncover sample outliers while further providing insight into the functional impacts of genetic variation.
Definition of Personalized Medicine
In simple words, personalized medicine is a clinical practice where treatment is designed and customized for every patient individually. Traditionally, the healthcare system treats all patients of the same ailment with the standard biomedical treatment by prescribing them the same set of medicines. However, it is important to note that traditional medicine does not affect everyone in the same way. This is because all of us have different genetic makeup. Genetic variations change the effect of medicines, and some patients may even have health consequences because of the treatment.
This is why there is a significant need for personalized medicine. With the help of personalized medicine, healthcare experts can expand their understanding of human genome sequencing and genetics so they can plan medical treatment accordingly. This also allows practitioners to diagnose diseases effectively and even take the right precautions to prevent them altogether. Personalized medicine is based on the idea that health services and patient care should be according to individuals and their genetic profiles.
What is Precision Medicine?
Precision medicine is a practice of medicine that focuses on the genes, environmental conditions, and lifestyles of individuals. In this approach, the professionals conduct a great deal of research to look for treatment and prevention strategies. This approach is an alternative to the one-size-fits-all traditional medical strategy.
In precision medicine, doctors give great importance to all the differences between individuals, so the medical treatment and drug therapy provided are precise. Despite it being a fairly new concept, precision medicine has been a part of the traditional method for a long time. For instance, when a patient needs a blood transfusion, doctors don’t give them just any type of blood but one that is compatible with their own blood group. This is a prominent example of precision medicine, among others. As for researchers, it is important that such an approach is taken forward in modern medicine to improve public health.
Precision Medicine is highly reliant on genomic data and genomic testing so they can come up with specific treatment plans that are more effective and tailored as per the genomic information of individual patients.
For those who may not know of genomic data, it is information that comes from the human genetic code. This information is extracted using genetic testing, which is becoming extremely common in traditional medicine. Using the information researchers get from genetic testing when combined with pharmaceutical and other information, can help create targeted therapies.
The application of these targeted therapies can be used in clinical trials. Researchers can observe their subjects, test these therapies and determine if they are effective in the treatment of disease.
What is the difference between personalized medicine and precision medicine?
On the surface, there is not a lot of difference between the two concepts. Some experts even go on to say that both concepts are the same and the terms are used interchangeably. Let’s learn more about these terms and if there are any differences between the two.
According to Dr. Liji Thomas, MD, personalized treatment is closer to traditional medicine when it comes to values. It is more focused on gaining the trust of the community and adapting the treatment according to them. This can help with the healing and give the patient confidence to continue treatment. While personalized treatment is more focused on the humanistic aspect of medical treatment, precision medicine is focused on the genomic data and using it to determine what kind of medicines will be the best option for an individual and their metabolism.
Precision medicine is considered to be a nuanced approach and consists of genotype and phenotype variations to apply to patients.
The National Research Council states that personalized medicine is an older term and precision medicine is its latest name. They believe that there was a lot of concern for the term personalized to being confused with tailor-made treatments. Whereas precision treatments are based on approaches that are defined by genetic makeup, other lifestyle factors, and environmental challenges. And therefore, it was decided that precision medicine is a better term in comparison to personalized medicine.
What are the benefits of precision medicine?
Researchers believe that there are a lot of benefits to precision medicine; let’s take a look at some of the top benefits:
Prevention
Traditional medicine focuses on reacting to or treating the disease rather than preventing it. Precision medicine focuses on prevention before anything else. Using molecule biomarkers, clinicians learn any signs or symptoms of disease in a patient. This way, they can target these symptoms and signs before the disease progresses. Precision medicine allows for early medical intervention, and that can help greatly with the prevention of diseases.
Trial and Error Prescribing
Many patients are hesitant to get medical attention, and that is because they have to go through a lot of trial and error before doctors can find the right medical treatment for them. A large number of patients do not have a great response to the medicines given to them in the first round, and that is because of the differences in their genetic makeup. In response to this, if experts were to use precision treatments, they would be able to study the genetic structures before prescribing medicines to ensure effectiveness in the first round.
Therefore, there will be no need for trial and error prescribing, and patients won’t have to spend a lot of money on medical treatment that finally works for them. Its cost-effectiveness makes it a great option for financially challenged patients.
Limited Side Effects
When doctors are fully aware of the genetic structures and variability in patients, they will be more likely to prescribe medicines that are effective and will not cause adverse drug reactions. This can cut down the instances of adverse drug reactions significantly and even save many patients’ lives.
Patient Adherence
If medical treatment is effective, there is no reason for a patient to refuse it. Precision medicine has a higher success rate as it allows practitioners to come up with a medical treatment that keeps all the extraneous factors in mind. If a patient is getting the treatment they need and are healing from their ailment, then that improves patient adherence which is difficult to achieve with traditional medicine.