Optimizing Clinical Workflow Using Precision Medicine and Advanced Data Analytics

Abstract

Precision medicine—of which precision prescribing is a core component—is becoming a new frontier in today’s healthcare. Both artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have the potential to enhance our understanding of data and therefore our ability to accurately diagnose and treat patients. By leveraging these technologies and processes, we can uncover associations between a person’s genomic makeup and their health, identify biomarkers associated with diseases, fine-tune patient selection for clinical trials, reduce costs, and accelerate drug discovery and vaccine development. Although real-world data pose challenges in terms of collection, representation, and missing or inaccurate data sets, the integration of precision medicine into healthcare is critical. Clearly, precision medicine can benefit from health information innovations that empower decision-making at the patient level. Healthcare fusion is an example of an innovative framework and process [K Zhai et al. ECKM 2022, 20(3), pp. 179–192]. Data science and process improvement are also expected to play a role in resource planning and operational efficiency for optimal patient-centered care. Driving this transformation are advances in ‘omics’ technologies, digital devices, and imaging capabilities, along with an arsenal of powerful analytics tools working across a multitude of institutions and stakeholders. Encompassing this entire ecosystem, medicine will be evidence-based and driven by three key components: (1) Data curation through clinical diagnostics and behavioral apps that capture health and disease states; (2) Individualized solutions driven by advanced data analytics and personalized therapies; and (3) Business models that deliver value and incentivize growth. The aim of this paper is to present a novel conceptual framework to leverage AI and enhance information flow to serve the patient as per components one and two.