Precision Medicine

Precision medicine (PM) tailors healthcare to account for variables in each patient’s genes, environment, lifestyle, and other factors. The Forum report will recommend how PM can be implemented based on the expertise of those at the forefront of its practice and development. The crucial measurable results for PM – patient outcomes and lowered costs – will be discussed, as well as how those can be incentivized within health care systems. The report will address the benefits of cross-referencing relevant data. Properly analyzing the full breadth of information gathered by health systems has produced unexpected advances in both practice and policy. Guided by the principles of PM, developing the collection and analysis of such data could reveal even better methods to improve healthcare. In addition, the report will delve into the ever-present legal, ethical, and social concerns surrounding data collection, and will suggest how PM can be supported and funded at the system level, leveraging public-private partnerships to create sustainable, effective change.

Dr. Victor J. Dzau

Dr. Victor J. Dzau is the President of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), formerly the Institute of Medicine (IOM). In addition, he serves as Chair of the IOM Division Committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dr. Dzau is Chancellor Emeritus and James B. Duke Professor of Medicine at Duke University and the past President and CEO of the Duke University Health System. Previously, Dr. Dzau was the Hersey Professor of Theory and Practice of Medicine and Chairman of Medicine at Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, as well as Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Stanford University. Dr. Dzau has made a significant impact on medicine through his seminal research in cardiovascular medicine and genetics and his leadership in health care innovation. As one of the world’s preeminent health leaders, Dr. Dzau advises governments, corporations, and universities worldwide.

2016