Implementing Precision Medicine in Best Practices of Chronic Airway Diseases provides a comprehensive overview of the application of precision medicine in airway diseases with a goal of promoting optimal control of disease, higher patient satisfaction and disease prevention. As medical research continues to fund this area, the book highlights the need for implementation of the principles of precision medicine into the bedside management of chronic airway diseases. It is clear that chronic airway diseases are heterogeneous and that a personalized approach is warranted whereby treatment is tailored to the level of the individual patient.Written for basic researchers, medical doctors and other healthcare practitioners this book provides guidance on the implementation of the principles of precision medicine into further research and daily clinical practice. - Bridges the gap between precision medicine research and the implementation of the principles into daily clinical practice - Includes contributions from key opinion leaders in the field of airway disease giving a worldwide perspective - Discusses precision medicine in terms of personalized and stratified medicine, biomarkers, prediction of success, participation of the patient and prevention of disease

COPD is one of the most common diseases worldwide and is projected to be the third leading cause of death by 2020. But that does not mean it is easy to understand or manage. In everyday practice, pulmonologists face areas of controversy in COPD, for which evidence-based medicine is often unavailable. This ERS Monograph considers where the current controversies in COPD lie, discussing areas such as screening, premature birth, asthma–COPD overlap syndrome, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care. This book will be of great interest to both clinicians and scientists, and aims to stimulate further discussion about this diverse and fascinating disease. "...contains a vast amount of information on the disease, its prevalence, signs and symptoms, diagnositc tests and treatment options. The book's format makes it quick and simple to find out what you need to know, and its size would make it easy to take to work for use in practice [...] invaluable for anyone working with patients with the disease." Emma Vincent, Nursing Standard

Severe asthma is a form of asthma that responds poorly to currently available medication, and its patients represent those with greatest unmet needs. In the last 10 years, substantial progress has been made in terms of understanding some of the mechanisms that drive severe asthma; there have also been concomitant advances in the recognition of specific molecular phenotypes. This ERS Monograph covers all aspects of severe asthma – epidemiology, diagnosis, mechanisms, treatment and management – but has a particular focus on recent understanding of mechanistic heterogeneity based on an analytic approach using various ‘omics platforms applied to clinically well-defined asthma cohorts. How these advances have led to improved management targets is also emphasised. This book brings together the clinical and scientific expertise of those from around the world who are collaborating to solve the problem of severe asthma.

"The field of Biomarkers and Precision Medicine in drug development is rapidly evolving and this book presents a snapshot of exciting new approaches. By presenting a wide range of biomarker applications, discussed by knowledgeable and experienced scientists, readers will develop an appreciation of the scope and breadth of biomarker knowledge and find examples that will help them in their own work." -Maria Freire, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Handbook of Biomarkers and Precision Medicine provides comprehensive insights into biomarker discovery and development which has driven the new era of Precision Medicine. A wide variety of renowned experts from government, academia, teaching hospitals, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies share best practices, examples and exciting new developments. The handbook aims to provide in-depth knowledge to research scientists, students and decision makers engaged in Biomarker and Precision Medicine-centric drug development. Features: Detailed insights into biomarker discovery, validation and diagnostic development with implementation strategies Lessons-learned from successful Precision Medicine case studies A variety of exciting and emerging biomarker technologies The next frontiers and future challenges of biomarkers in Precision Medicine Claudio Carini, Mark Fidock and Alain van Gool are internationally recognized as scientific leaders in Biomarkers and Precision Medicine. They have worked for decades in academia and pharmaceutical industry in EU, USA and Asia. Currently, Dr. Carini is Honorary Faculty at Kings’s College School of Medicine, London, UK. Dr. Fidock is Vice President of Precision Medicine Laboratories at AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK. Prof.dr. van Gool is Head Translational Metabolic Laboratory at Radboud university medical school, Nijmegen, NL.

Respiratory Muscle Strength Training is a clinical guide, intended to provide clinicians with the background information they need to understand respiratory muscle strength training (RMST). With a variety of case studies provided by well-known authors and clinicians, this text acts as a guidebook to the RMST protocol and provides practical information for use in the field of healthcare. In addition to real-world case studies, Respiratory Muscle Strength Training includes a chapter devoted to Frequently Asked Questions, a representative sample of the devices commonly used for respiratory training, and instructions for using them in patient care.

Motivated by the explosion of molecular data on humans-particularly data associated with individual patients-and the sense that there are large, as-yet-untapped opportunities to use this data to improve health outcomes, Toward Precision Medicine explores the feasibility and need for "a new taxonomy of human disease based on molecular biology" and develops a potential framework for creating one. The book says that a new data network that integrates emerging research on the molecular makeup of diseases with clinical data on individual patients could drive the development of a more accurate classification of diseases and ultimately enhance diagnosis and treatment. The "new taxonomy" that emerges would define diseases by their underlying molecular causes and other factors in addition to their traditional physical signs and symptoms. The book adds that the new data network could also improve biomedical research by enabling scientists to access patients' information during treatment while still protecting their rights. This would allow the marriage of molecular research and clinical data at the point of care, as opposed to research information continuing to reside primarily in academia. Toward Precision Medicine notes that moving toward individualized medicine requires that researchers and health care providers have access to very large sets of health- and disease-related data linked to individual patients. These data are also critical for developing the information commons, the knowledge network of disease, and ultimately the new taxonomy.

Chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kill more than 4 million people every year, and affect hundreds of millions more. These diseases erode the health and well-being of the patients and have a negative impact on families and societies. This report raises awareness of the huge impact of chronic respiratory diseases worldwide, and highlights the risk factors as well as ways to prevent and treat these diseases.

This is the first book to offer a comprehensive guide to involving patients in health technology assessment (HTA). Defining patient involvement as patient participation in the HTA process and research into patient aspects, this book includes detailed explanations of approaches to participation and research, as well as case studies. Patient Involvement in HTA enables researchers, postgraduate students, HTA professionals and experts in the HTA community to study these complementary ways of taking account of patients’ knowledge, experiences, needs and preferences. Part I includes chapters discussing the ethical rationale, terminology, patient-based evidence, participation and patient input. Part II sets out methodology including: Qualitative Evidence Synthesis, Discrete Choice Experiments, Analytical Hierarchy Processes, Ethnographic Fieldwork, Deliberative Methods, Social Media Analysis, Patient-Reported Outcome Measures, patients as collaborative research partners and evaluation. Part III contains 15 case studies setting out current activities by HTA bodies on five continents, health technology developers and patient organisations. Each part includes discussion chapters from leading experts in patient involvement. A final chapter reflects on the need to clearly define the goals for patient involvement within the context of the HTA to identify the optimal approach. With cohesive contributions from more than 80 authors from a variety of disciplines around the globe, it is hoped this book will serve as a catalyst for collaboration to further develop patient involvement to improve HTA. "If you’re not involving patients, you're not doing HTA!" - Dr. Brian O’Rourke, President and CEO of CADTH, Chair of INAHTA

Medical informatics is a field which continues to evolve with developments and improvements in foundational methods, applications, and technology, constantly offering opportunities for supporting the customization of healthcare to individual patients. This book presents the proceedings of the 16th World Congress of Medical and Health Informatics (MedInfo2017), held in Hangzhou, China, in August 2017, which also marked the 50th anniversary of the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA). The central theme of MedInfo2017 was "Precision Healthcare through Informatics", and the scientific program was divided into five tracks: connected and digital health; human data science; human, organizational, and social aspects; knowledge management and quality; and safety and patient outcomes. The 249 accepted papers and 168 posters included here span the breadth and depth of sub-disciplines in biomedical and health informatics, such as clinical informatics; nursing informatics; consumer health informatics; public health informatics; human factors in healthcare; bioinformatics; translational informatics; quality and safety; research at the intersection of biomedical and health informatics; and precision medicine. The book will be of interest to all those who wish to keep pace with advances in the science, education, and practice of biomedical and health informatics worldwide.

Pediatric Allergy supplies the comprehensive guidance you need to diagnose, manage, and treat virtually any type of allergy seen in children. Drs. Leung, Sampson, Geha, and Szefler present the new full-color second edition, with coverage of the diagnosis and management of anaphylaxis, the immune mechanisms underlying allergic disease, the latest diagnostic tests, and more. Treat the full range of pediatric allergic and immunologic diseases through clinically focused coverage relevant to both allergists and pediatricians. Understand the care and treatment of pediatric patients thanks to clinical pearls discussing the best approaches. Easily refer to appendices that list common food allergies and autoantibodies in autoimmune diseases. Apply the newest diagnostic tests available—for asthma, upper respiratory allergy, and more—and know their benefits and contraindications. Treat the allergy at its source rather than the resulting reactions through an understanding of the immune mechanisms underlying allergic diseases. Get coverage of new research that affects methods of patient treatment and discusses potential reasons for increased allergies in some individuals. Better manage potential anaphylaxis cases through analysis of contributing facts and progression of allergic disease. Effectively control asthma and monitor its progression using the new step-by-step approach. Eliminate difficulty in prescribing antibiotics thanks to coverage of drug allergies and cross-reactivity.