Personalized Medicine

Abstract

“Personalized medicine” and the related concepts of “precision medicine” and “precision health” refer to the idea that healthcare approaches should not be one‐size‐fits‐all but instead tailored to a person's unique biological, behavioral, and environmental factors. A central focus of personalized medicine is genomic testing to generate more accurate disease risk profiles and to guide gene‐targeted therapies (i.e., pharmacogenomics). Personalized medicine also relies on individuals' digital health engagement and on healthcare informatics to generate personalized guidance. Health communication scholars have an important role to play in the success of personalized medicine. From research to clinical implementation, effective communication is key to enabling and implementing the discoveries that support a personalized approach to health. Important areas for communication research include research participant recruitment, digital health engagement and bioinformatics, conveying complex health information to patients and consumers, and the portrayal of personalized medicine in the media.