Patients and carers views must be involved in the rollout of precision medicine
December 15, 2020
The sequencing of the human genome has begun to enhance our understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying chronic diseases, for example asthma. The twentieth century model of asthma management is often that of a generic disease with grades of severity, treated by adding layer on layer of medicine. However, the discoveries that follow from the description of the human genome are influencing our thinking. They are enriching the established milieu with additional information about new individual pathways, urging us to move “
from mostly one-size-fits-all treatment to genuinely personalized care.” [1] We may soon have the power to decide whether or not we can let this novel information fine-tune the management of chronic diseases in wider populations.