Discovering Precision Health (eBook)

LLOYD MINOR, MD, is the Carl and Elizabeth Naumann Dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine as well as a professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery and a professor of bioengineering and of neurobiology, by courtesy, at Stanford University. MATTHEW REES is the president of Geonomica, an editorial consulting firm in McLean, Virginia, and a senior fellow at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business. He has worked as a speechwriter at the White House and a journalist for the Wall Street Journal and the Economist.

About the Authors ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction The Power of Precision Health 1

Chapter 1 The State of U.S. Health and Health Care Delivery 15

Chapter 2 There's More to "Health" Than Health Care 33

Chapter 3 The Innovation and Disruption Powering Progress in Health 43

Chapter 4 Fundamental, Discovery-Focused Research: The Foundation of Biomedical Breakthroughs 111

Chapter 5 Peering into the Future: Leveraging The Powers of Prediction to Help Prevent Illness 147

Chapter 6 Prevention as a Pathway to Health and Wellness 177

Chapter 7 Curing Disease with More Precise Medical Therapies 207

Conclusion Achieving Precision Health: The Opportunities--and Challenges--Ahead 237

Notes 243

Index 259

"Instead of trying to cure disease after the fact, Discovering Precision Health will empower anyone to win the race against illness before it begins. Dr. Lloyd Minor's bold new vision is of a world in which the latest innovations, discovery-based research, and revolutionary new thinking will forever change the way you and your doctor collaborate to maintain your health and well-being." - Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global

"If you're only going to read one book about the future of individual health and health care, this book is it. Lloyd Minor showcases how technology and biomedical innovation are bringing greater precision to predicting, preventing, and curing disease." - Ann Lamont, venture capitalist and health care investor

"Stanford Medicine's leadership in the movement toward Precision Health is one of the university's most promising contributions. In Discovering Precision Health, Lloyd Minor masterfully shows how this vision is already transforming health care, creating a new paradigm for health and well-being." - Marc Tessier-Lavigne, President, Stanford University

"Much has been written about the need to have a health care system more focused on preventing disease, as well as the need to leverage recent technological advances in consumer-focused devices, digital technologies, data science, and artificial intelligence. What sets this book apart is its breadth and depth." - Health Affairs

"This is an outstanding contribution to the world of medicine detailing an exciting way forward to change the thinking from medical care to maintaining health. It is provocative reading for all." - Doody's Review Service