DNA-Based Personalized Medicine: Patient Education Guide
Author: Concordia University
Published: 2015/01/06 - Updated: 2026/01/11
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed, Research, Study, Analysis
Category Topic: Personalized Medicine - Related Publications
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates
Synopsis: This peer-reviewed research examines how personalized medicine has evolved from theoretical concept to proven clinical practice, particularly in cancer treatment, while exploring pathways for expansion into other chronic disease management. The study provides valuable evidence-based insights into patient acceptance factors, revealing that informed patients who understand their conditions and the relative advantages of DNA-based treatments are significantly more likely to embrace precision medicine approaches. For individuals managing chronic conditions, those with genetic predispositions to disease, and healthcare decision-makers, this research offers practical guidance on the communication strategies and educational foundations necessary for successful treatment outcomes, while addressing real-world economic considerations and cautioning against overuse in healthy populations where targeted interventions may be unnecessary - Disabled World (DW).
Defining Personalized Medicine
- Personalized Medicine
Personalized medicine, also known as precision medicine, is an innovative medical approach that tailors treatment and preventive strategies to individual patients based on their unique genetic makeup, lifestyle, and environmental factors. By analyzing genetic data, biomarkers, and other personal health information, personalized medicine enables healthcare providers to predict more accurately which treatments and interventions will be most effective for each patient, minimizing the trial-and-error approach often associated with traditional medicine. This approach not only enhances the effectiveness of care but also reduces the risk of adverse reactions, paving the way for more efficient and targeted healthcare solutions.
Introduction
Only a decade ago, basing medical treatment on your DNA seemed like science fiction. Not any more. Thanks in part to the sequencing of the human genome, personalized medicine (PM), a specific course of treatment developed for the individual patient, is now science fact.
Main Content
PM has already shown its effectiveness in the treatment of cancer, and medical professionals are eager to expand it to treat other chronic diseases. But first patients need to understand how PM can work for them.
Will they buy into it?
"Yes - but only if patients are armed with knowledge about their own disease and understand the relative advantages of PM," says Concordia University marketing professor Lea Prevel Katsanis, the co-author of a new study on the subject, published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing.
She adds that if patients are going to accept PM, doctor-patient communication is vital.
For the study, Katsanis and her co-author, Anja Hitz, a former John Molson School of Business MBA student and current head of medical compliance and prevention at the Military Hospital in Hamburg, Germany, polled 307 consumers through an online survey. They found that knowledge and the relative advantages of PM have the most significant influence on patient acceptance of PM.
"The more a patient knows about how she is being treated, the more likely she is to accept that treatment," says Katsanis. "So it's important to educate consumers on potential benefits and risks associated with PM."
Indeed, patient understanding is a key factor in getting healthcare professionals, governments and insurance companies to adopt and pay for PM, particularly when these targeted treatments are often more costly than traditional medical methods.
With PM, the same drug isn't given to millions of people. It's a targeted treatment regime. While that reduced patient pool means an increased cost, there can be long-term benefits. Increased efficiency and prevention may result in fewer drugs being prescribed. And PM may also result in the reduction of secondary costs as a result of overdosing, incorrect prescriptions and adverse drug reactions.
"If PM can be successfully integrated into the healthcare system at a reasonable cost, it represent a significant improvement in the treatment of chronic disease," says Katsanis.
But she warns that marketers need to proceed with caution:
"The promotion of personalized medications will increasingly focus on the healthy patient with a genetic disposition for a particular illness. While this might lead to new and potentially greater opportunities for marketers, it might also result in the targeting of healthy patients who don't actually need treatment for an active disease. Ultimately, this could increase healthcare costs and cause unnecessary patient treatment."
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: The shift toward DNA-guided treatment protocols represents one of medicine's most significant advances in targeting disease at its molecular roots, yet its success hinges less on technological capability than on human understanding. As precision medicine moves beyond oncology into broader therapeutic applications, the path forward requires healthcare systems to prioritize patient literacy alongside laboratory innovation. The economic paradox remains compelling: higher per-treatment costs may ultimately reduce overall healthcare expenditure through prevention and elimination of adverse reactions, but only if applied judiciously to those who truly need intervention rather than becoming another avenue for overtreating the worried well. The future of personalized medicine will be determined not by what we can sequence, but by how well we communicate what those sequences mean - Disabled World (DW).Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Concordia University and published on 2015/01/06, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.