Public health and precision medicine share a goal

Abstract

The advances made in genomics and molecular tools aid public health programs in the investigation of outbreaks and control of diseases by taking advantage of the precision medicine. Precision medicine means "segregating the individuals into subpopulations who vary in their disease susceptibility and response to a precise treatment" and not merely designing of drugs or creation of medical devices. By 2017, the United Kingdom 100,000 Genomes Project is expected to sequence 100,000 genomes from 70,000 patients. Similarly, the Precision Medicine Initiative of the United States plans to increase population-based genome sequencing and link it with clinical data. A national cohort of around 1 million people is to be established in the long term, to investigate the genetic and environmental determinants of health and disease, and further integrated to their electronic health records that are optional. Precision public health can be seen as administering the right intervention to the needy population at an appropriate time. Precision medicine originates from a wet-lab while evidence-based medicine is nurtured in a clinic. Linking the quintessential basic science research and clinical practice is necessary. In addition, new technologies to employ and analyze data in an integrated and dynamic way are essential for public health and precision medicine. The transition from evidence-based approach in public health to genomic approach to individuals with a paradigm shift of a "reactive" medicine to a more "proactive" and personalized health care may sound exceptional. However, a population perspective is needed for the precision medicine to succeed.

Principles of Precision Prevention Science for Improving Recruitment and Retention of Participants

“…Aligned with this framework is the idea discussed in this paper to examine participant engagement with a similar systems lens. Precision medicine andpublic healthresearchare careful todefine subpopulations in more nuanced ways than in the past, segmenting into smaller groups who vary by specific factors such as susceptibility, intersection of risk, or response to specific treatments (Vaithinathan and Asokan 2017). Some prevention science research has begun to examine a broader range of systems level factors for subpopulations that affect engagement, including characteristics of the program delivery or organizational capacity (Holland et al 2017).…”

Genetics in the 21st Century: Implications for patients, consumers and citizens

“…Outside of the UK, sequencing in healthcare settings is also expanding. For example, the National Institutes of Health Precision Medicine Initiative in the US offers 1 million people some level of genomic sequencing 4 and the Australian Genomics Health Alliance is currently creating the infrastructure to integrate genomic medicine into healthcare nationally. Possibly the most striking example comes form Qatar where the government has plans to offer genome sequencing to their entire population ( www.qatargenome.org.qa/ ).…”

Editorial: Translation of Genomic Results Into Public Health Practice

“…Society, on the other hand, still remains the main concern of public health, long ago defined as “the art and science of promoting health and preventing disease” at the community level ( 5 ). Nowadays, when the two fields converge at the common aim of achieving a healthier population, the genomic information offers the opportunity of proactive rather than reactive approach in reaching the goals of modern medicine ( 6 – 8 ).…”