Personalized Medicine: A Cautionary Tale or Instructional Epic

Abstract

With the twenty-first century just beginning, the practice of medicine would forever change as the successful sequencing of the human genome was completed. This blockbuster discovery reset the landscape of medicine and the provision of health care. Personalized medicine once based on best practices and characterized by a constructive and caring doctor/patient relationship now includes a vast frontier of treatment options based on an individual's genetic blueprint. Patient-centered outcomes research and renewed interest in patient empowerment are also components to personalized medicine where genetics leads the way. Personalized medicine will always remain a dynamic practice as science moves forward. For it to succeed, personalized medicine must be crafted in the best interests of the patient within the context of our current health policy.