A Vision of Future Healthcare: Potential Opportunities and Risks of Systems Medicine from a Citizen and Patient Perspective—Results of a Qualitative Study

Clarissa Lemmen, Dusan Simic and Stephanie Stock
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Clarissa Lemmen: Institute for Health Economics and Clinical Epidemiology (IGKE), University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, 50935 Cologne, Germany
Dusan Simic: Institute for Health Economics and Clinical Epidemiology (IGKE), University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, 50935 Cologne, Germany
Stephanie Stock: Institute for Health Economics and Clinical Epidemiology (IGKE), University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, 50935 Cologne, Germany

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 18, 1-20

Abstract: Advances in (bio)medicine and technological innovations make it possible to combine high-dimensional, heterogeneous health data to better understand causes of diseases and make them usable for predictive, preventive, and precision medicine. This study aimed to determine views on and expectations of “systems medicine” from the perspective of citizens and patients in six focus group interviews, all transcribed verbatim and content analyzed. A future vision of the use of systems medicine in healthcare served as a stimulus for the discussion. The results show that although certain aspects of systems medicine were seen positive (e.g., use of smart technology, digitalization, and networking in healthcare), the perceived risks dominated. The high degree of technification was perceived as emotionally burdensome (e.g., reduction of people to their data, loss of control, dehumanization). The risk-benefit balance for the use of risk-prediction models for disease events and trajectories was rated as rather negative. There were normative and ethical concerns about unwanted data use, discrimination, and restriction of fundamental rights. These concerns and needs of citizens and patients must be addressed in policy frameworks and health policy implementation strategies to reduce negative emotions and attitudes toward systems medicine and to take advantage of its opportunities.

Keywords: systems medicine; systems biology; big data; implementation; precision medicine; personalized medicine; artificial intelligence; digital health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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