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Precision Medicine: The Promise and Problems of Transformational Medicine in the 21st Century

June 18, 2016

Audio Recording

Video Recording

President Barack Obama announced the Precision Medicine Initiative in his 2015 State of the Union address. The focus of this initiative is to acquire and integrate patient information from genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, environment, family history and lifestyle, in order to provide more effective healthcare to each and every patient. While laudable in its general aspirations, this approach to healthcare also raises several critical ethical issues regarding the meaning of health and human flourishing. This presentation will review the development of precision medicine and the major ethical issues it raises. In response to these challenging issues, an ethical approach will be presented that is grounded in fundamental Judeo-Christian values and vision, and yet articulated in a manner that is accessible and relevant to all communities that will be impacted by this transformational medical initiative.

Keywords:
Personalized medicine; Pharmaceuticals; Oncology; Medicine as art; Medicine as science; Definition of health