Journal of Community Medicine & Health Education
Open Access

Abstract

The aim of this presentation is to discuss how precision health approaches can be used to develop cohort studies. Technological developments have accelerated precision health studies, making it possible to accumulate detailed data on individuals�?¢�?�?�?�? health conditions. Moreover, these data can more precisely visualise all health conditions. These conditions provide individuals with particular settings that enable them to grasp their own bodily conditions and, thereby, control them. Cohort studies focus on the inter-relationships between factors that may influence individuals�?¢�?�?�?�? health. As such, precision health approaches and perspectives seem to assist existing cohort studies by adding further factors that can be collected by newly developed technologies. Considering the progress in precision health, it is important to apply precision health to cohort studies. To explore how precision health approaches can be applied to cohort studies, 11 major cohort studies in Japan were examined in terms of their study framework. Two provisional perspectives emerged: 1. By applying precision health approaches, the health-related data in traditional cohort studies will be integrated into more detailed data sets as genome data, family history, life-log and environmental factors, and 2. Existing cohort studies tend to focus on people requiring behaviour changes in order to improve their health. However, these studies have not developed indices to evaluate people with positive health behaviours and who have controlled their health condition. We argue that it is fundamental for future cohort studies to establish an index to evaluate whether or not people are succeeding in terms of health improvement.

Biography

Ikuko Tomomatsu has Graduated from Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London in 2012. She started her career as a researcher at a clinic in Japan and has conducted projects regarding integrated community care system and home medical care. In 2016, she joined Eagle Matrix Consulting Co. Ltd, and has led projects of integrated community care system and home medical care as a public health specialist.
Email:tomomatsu@emcjpn.com