John R. Zaleski, PhD, CPHIMS

There are two very good posts that I stumbled upon this morning, both at KevinMD. The first, “Society expends huge sums on futile healthcare,” by Jim Demaine, MD, and the second,  ”Diagnosing an illness is an art,” by Stewart Segal, MD, touch on aspects of what I call the “Personalizing of Medicine.”

As opposed to the oft-used term “personalized medicine,” I truly mean the “personalizing of medicine” from the perspective of our individual experiences. The process of being treated for an illness, whatever it is, is a highly personal process. Each of us has a story. Each individual is unique. This is important to remember as we in the field use terms such as “Meaningful Use” and “electronic medical records,” and others that tend to take the focus off the personal and refocus on technologies or population statistics.

Don’t get me wrong. All have their place. Yet, it is necessary to understand that while we are well it is much easier to speak in emotionless, colorless tones about medical care and what is right for “society” and reducing “costs.” It is a different matter when it changes from the objective to the subjective; from the general to the personal. Each of us has a story, and many cry out to have that story told. I have my own, but the reason I went into the medical and health field is entirely personal, as well. Someday I will relay that story.

So, the point of this post was reflection: medicine is personal. The physicians who practice it visit with each patient individually. While the statistics and analysis are useful for assessing the patient’s treatment, each patient must be treated individually since each patient has an individual and unique story. Sometimes I fear that in the process of discussing Meaningful Use this fact is forgotten. So, while we strive for better medicine, let us also remember that the objective must also be to ensure that the “personalizing of medicine” is not removed from treatment and patient care.