Personalized Medicine: Ethical Aspects

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Ethics
• Medical Informatics
• Genomics

Background:

• The rapid advancement of personalized medicine is driven by technological innovations like DNA sequencing and big data analysis.
• While technology accelerates medical progress, social acceptability and ethical frameworks are essential for equitable healthcare.
• Historical medical ethics often evolved in response to past ethical failures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the ethical considerations and social acceptability required for personalized medicine.
• To highlight the critical role of the physician-patient relationship in the ethical practice of personalized medicine.
• To discuss the need for evolving ethical feedback mechanisms in healthcare.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of medical ethics and personalized medicine advancements.
• Analysis of the impact of technological progress on healthcare.
• Discussion of socio-scientific calamities and their influence on medical ethics.

Main Results:

• Technological progress in medicine, akin to Moore's Law, necessitates parallel advancements in social and ethical acceptance.
• Personalized medicine's capacity to address individual illness requires a strong ethical foundation.
• The physician-patient relationship is identified as the most crucial element for the ethical implementation of personalized medicine.

Conclusions:

• Personalized medicine requires more than technological prowess; it demands social acceptance and robust ethical guidelines.
• An evolving feedback mechanism, centered on the physician-patient relationship, is vital for navigating the ethical landscape of personalized medicine.
• Ethical progress in medicine is often reactive, underscoring the need for proactive ethical consideration in the era of personalized medicine.