Precision medicine and diseases as natural kinds: An epistemological dilemma

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-29-2022

Journal Title

Journal of evaluation in clinical practice

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The most important advance of precision medicine (PM) has been a specific way to define and understand disease. However, PM may fail to be therapeutically effective if diseases are natural kinds. OBJECTIVE: To attest adverse consequences of treatments suggested by PM that do not generalize well. METHODS: Conceptual analysis of PM; Epistemology of clinical reasoning; Cases that show diseases as natural kinds to clash with epistemology of PM. RESULTS: Contemplation of future research options that could clarify the position of PM under the conception of diseases as natural kinds. CONCLUSION: Need for improved design of future interventions that better acknowledge problematic epistemology of PM.

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