Common origin but individual outcomes: time for new guidelines in personalized healthcare

Abstract

Clinical observations clearly demonstrate that similar endogenous and exogenous risk factors cause individual reactions and pathologic characteristics; therefore, the same therapeutic approaches applied within one cohort of patients lead to individual outcomes. How could we optimize approaches used in the current healthcare systems? Individualized treatment algorithms and paradigm change from a late interventional approach to predictive diagnosis, followed by the targeted prevention of a disease before pathology manifests, presents an innovative concept for advanced healthcare that is cost effective. Predictive perinatal/postnatal diagnosis and the preselection of a particular healthy but disease-predisposed individual, followed by targeted preventive measures, represent the primary task in the overall action of personalized healthcare. Those highly effective measures can lead to a reduced prevalence of severe pathologies and better long-term outcomes for patients treated according to individual parameters and therapeutic algorithms. Furthermore, an increased portion of socially active members remaining vibrant with excellent physical and mental health can therefore, be expected in the elderly. Improving the quality of life of aging populations and reducing costs in advanced healthcare systems, is a global challenge of the 21st century. This task requires intelligent political regulations and the creation of new guidelines to advance the current healthcare systems. Targeted preventive measures should be well regulated by innovative reimbursement programs introduced by policy-makers. This is considered as the cost-effective preventive ‘medicine of the future’.