Predictive genomics can transform healthcare, shifting the focus towards prevention and getting better value for the money we spend. In the first of a two-part mini-series , Francesco Floridini explores this new paradigm in healthcare. Healthcare today is all about treating people who are ill. They experience symptoms, engage with the health system, and receive an intervention ‒ perhaps a drug, a device, surgery or recommendations for lifestyle change. This works well for some. For others, diagnosis comes too late or the intervention doesn’t work as had been hoped, and doctors must try something else. Outcomes vary and, more often than not, there is no way to tell which treatment will work best in a given patient. This is not only inefficient, but costly. Many healthcare systems across the world are perilously approaching the point of no return in terms of sustainability. Ageing, sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy nutrition are driving the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as certain types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. At the same time, the young healthy and productive population (which shoulders the socio-economic burden of older generations) is getting smaller, while economic crises are driving inequalities. The result is a potentially catastrophic scenario, where healthcare and social insurance systems can’t cope with the load of sick people, leading to less healthcare services and even greater inequalities. Focus on prevention There is another way. I see mounting evidence that predictive genomics (PG) can provide individuals and health systems with key information on who is at risk of a wide range of diseases. And, crucially, how this risk can be reduced to improve outcomes and use finite resources well. Information is power. Prevention is at the heart of this new model which I am confident has the potential to make our systems more sustainable,...
