The twin questions of personalized medicine: Who are you and whom do you most resemble?

Abstract

Personalized medicine is typically described as the use of molecular or genetic characteristics tocustomize therapy. This perspective at best provides an incomplete model of the patient and atworst can lead to grossly inappropriate practices. Personalization of medicine requires two characterizationsa well-grounded understanding of who the patient is and an equally robust understandingof the subpopulation that most resembles that patient in the context of the decisions athand. These characterizations are readily represented probabilistically and can be used to drivedecision-making in a rational manner that maximizes the positive outcomes for the patient. © 2009 BioMed Central Ltd.