The personalized medicine discourse: archaeology and genealogy.
Alfredo CesarioFranziska Michaela LohmeyerMarika D'OriaAndrea MantoGiovanni ScambiaPublished in: Medicine, health care, and philosophy (2021)
Personalized Medicine (PM) is an evolving and often missinterpreted concept and no agreement of personalization exist. We examined the PM discourse towards foucauldian archeological and genealogical analysis to understand the meaning of "personalization" in medicine. In the archaeological analysis, the historical evolution is characterized by the coexistence of two epistemologies: the holistic vision and the omic sciences. The genealogical analysis shows how these epistemologies may affect the meaning of "person" and, consequently, the ontology of patients. Additionally, substitutions/confusions of the term PM are related to continuously evolving medical knowledge and new technologies; different etymological roots of "personalization" and "person"; and cultural differences. In conclusion, if the definition of "personalization" in medicine is not clear, patients might get wrong expectations about what is achievable for their health. Therefore, epistemological trends should not be separated as they drive same goals: providing accurate diagnosis and treatments based on large data to predict disease progression.
Keyphrases
- end stage renal disease
- healthcare
- air pollution
- particulate matter
- newly diagnosed
- chronic kidney disease
- peritoneal dialysis
- prognostic factors
- public health
- heavy metals
- mental health
- preterm infants
- electronic health record
- polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- data analysis
- climate change
- high resolution
- patient reported outcomes
- advanced cancer
- water soluble
- big data