This month, the “Take Charge of Your Health Today” page focuses on a new area of research—precision medicine. Jennifer R. Jones, MPH, CTSI community engagement senior coordinator, and Esther L. Bush, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, discussed this topic.
JJ: Good morning, Ms. Bush. Today we’re discussing an exciting new concept of health care called “precision medicine.” You and I have already had many conversations about this. I’m looking forward to sharing information with our Courier readers. I’m sure many people are wondering what we mean by “precision medicine.”
EB: You’re probably right, Jennifer. I know that at first, I didn’t quite understand precision medicine and its long-term goals. After many enlightening conversations and presentations, I boil it down to this—the medical community providing the best possible care for each person. Care that is based on all the things that make us unique. Our genetics. Our family health history. Our daily behaviors. Our lifestyles. The medicine we take. What we put into our body. How we treat our body as we age.
JJ: Yes, Esther. Our bodies are complex. There’s still so much to learn. Our health is an overall expression of all the internal and external factors you have just outlined. Some of the factors that influence our health we can change; unfortunately, some of them we cannot. Dr. Massart really does a great job detailing the main points of precision medicine in the overview section below. Precision medicine is care that is tailored to you as an individual. It aims to have your care provider understand and treat you based on your genetics and your environment.
EB: This topic ties in with our topic last month—research and health equity. We all want to know that when we go to the doctor, we’re getting the best care, no matter what we look like or what health conditions we have. I want to reiterate something. Health care is based on research. Health care and research are moving forward, whether we are a part of them or not. I choose to participate in research because I want to know that people like me are represented in the data when those health and treatment decisions are made.
JJ: I always appreciate your openness and honesty, Esther. You’re right. In the past, research has not always been inclusive, whether it is because of a lack of diversity based on age, race, gender, sexual orientation, or even where you live. But things are changing. Former President Obama had a big vision when he announced the Precision Medicine Initiative in 2015. All across our country, the best physicians and researchers are focusing on learning more about all of us to improve health care. The research network is growing in our region, and it’s really exciting.
EB: I’m so glad that the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh can be a part of this through our partnership with CTSI. History is truly being made through this national initiative. I encourage everyone to learn more about precision medicine using the resource links provided on this page. We need to have informative and meaningful conversations in our families and communities about research. This is what the future of health care looks like for our children and grandchildren.
JJ: As always, thank you for your time and input, Esther. If anyone has questions or would like more information about precision medicine, e-mail partners@hs.pitt.edu. Our team is more than willing to come to your organizations, schools and churches to answer questions and engage in meaningful conversations.
This year is winding down quickly! Our December topic will examine cyberbullying. Unfortunately, this seems to be a growing problem, especially among our school-aged children and adolescents. We have experts here at Pitt who care deeply about this and are going to share research and current interventions.
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