background The goal of personalised medicine is to adapt the therapy precisely to an individual’s specific needs. But how can we practise personalised medicine from a scientific perspective?
aim To discuss how we can progress from a science based on group findings to a science based on individual cases.
method We will outline various research designs that may be helpful for investigating an approach to personalised medicine.
results One approach is to focus on more homogenous groups, e.g. using symptom dimensions or by dividing the groups on the basis of biomarkers, sociomarkers or psychomarkers. Another approach is to study variations within an individual, adjusting the intervention precisely to the individual, both in terms of content and timing.
conclusion Designs that allow for a scientific approach to personalised medicine should improve our understanding of what is happening to a specific individual and enable us to select the most suitable intervention for a specific individual.