The Rise of Personalized Medicine

How care is getting more personalized and effective

Until recently, doctors treated patients based on an average: how a disease affects most patients, or how the average patient responds to a medication. Today, however, a new approach known as precision, or personalized, medicine is emerging. In this rapidly growing field, treatments tailored to individuals are emerging that make care more targeted and effective than ever.

At True Health, we are bringing the power of personalized medicine to a new kind of primary care practice that treats you as an individual. We have the ability to optimize care to your unique genetics, lifestyle, and needs, and by doing so, unlock a healthier and more vibrant life. Here’s how.

The Origins of Personalized Medicine

The door to personalized medicine was first opened in 2003 when scientists finished mapping the human genome. It allowed doctors to identify genetic markers for disease and identify people who were most at risk, and over time to deliver more effective treatments. Starting in the mid-2000s new cancer drugs targeting specific mutations came into use, and the development of precision drugs has only increased since then.

What started as the leading edge of scientific discovery is now widespread. Today, genetic testing is almost commonplace—anyone can order genetic tests online and do DNA testing at home and through the mail. Last year, even the WHO adopted a resolution to focus on rare diseases, an area of work directly enabled by personalized medicine techniques.

But what does this have to do with you, and your care today?

Personalized Medicine in Action

Even though we’re writing about genetics and specific diseases like cancer, the applications of personalized medicine can be remarkably ordinary. To a patient, it can be as simple as getting a blood test to determine which antidepressant might be most effective.

Personalized medicine also is seamlessly expanding thanks to the boom in wearable technology that bridges the gap between peoples’ inner and outer lives. With wearables, doctors are able to gather huge amounts of specific data that is unique to each case and combine it with other tests and techniques to get a fuller picture of what is happening with a patient.

In the most recent innovations, doctors are employing AI to combine these huge sets of data with genetic information to more precisely prevent or treat disease. Scientists are even using AI to model biological systems and more rapidly develop new drugs, digitally. 

Personalization at True Health

If all of that sounds a little dense, it feels much more simple at True Health. We offer our patients genetic testing that can help our patients identify risks and predict drug responses, but our use of personalization goes so much deeper.

On a fundamental level, we apply the idea of personalized medicine to lifestyle interventions that have the power to prevent and treat disease. Unlike most traditional healthcare providers, we take into account all aspects of your health—body, mind, and lifestyle—and develop personalized treatment plans tailored to the unique factors in your life.

In doing so, we make patients know they are more than another appointment in a doctor’s busy schedule. We enable you to feel truly seen and cared for. We better understand your unique needs, meet you where you are, and plan care tailored to your one-of-a-kind lives and goals.

If you want to learn more about how it feels to have a truly personalized healthcare experience, click the link below to schedule a consultation to talk with our team about care at True Health, and tell us about your unique needs and goals. At True Health, we always see and meet them, because we are here to optimize you.

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