Translational Medicine
Scientific advances in traditional medicine have provided people with dramatic improvements in longevity and the toolbox of medicines and devices available to fight disease. Yet, the cost and impersonality of care continue to escalate. Alternatives that reduce cost and put the patient back at the center of medical care are beginning to be known.
Translational medicine is a field of medicine focused on moving laboratory technologies and discoveries into application in clinical research and practice. Initially, translational research describes the drug discovery and/or development phase, the translation of non-human research finding, from the laboratory and from animal studies, into therapies for patients, shortening the “bench-to-bedside” cycle.
Translational medicine requires the integration of knowledge using data from health care to the life sciences. It aims to provide tailored patient care through integration of the patient medical history and patient-provided and biomedical information. This new form of patient record provides a longitudinal knowledge base to better understand actual patient conditions, therapeutic options based on demonstrated efficacy, and comparisons across similar patient populations.
Over time, the CTM will pay attention to the broader political, economic, policy and social impacts of translational medicine, but in its clinical practice CTM is focused on the development and application of new therapies in a patient-centered environment. Close interaction among the patient, the practitioner, health care providers, insurers and the support networks provide both constant feedback and opportunities to adapt therapies to evidence. Patient-provided status reports provide feedback for the collaborative collective. Data are available to inform the patient and the physician about what is working and adaptations can be made accordingly. Similarly, data can be made available to the consortium of providers of help to similar populations.
Disclaimer:
The information provided by this website does not constitute a medical recommendation. It is intended for informational purposes only, and no claims, either real or implied, are being made.