You Can Now Join NIH’s Newest Research Project!
Enrollment Is Available for the Precision Medicine Initiative
On May 6, the National Institutes of Health will open national enrollment for the All of UsResearch Program, a momentous effort to advance individualized prevention, treatment and care for people of all backgrounds. People age 18 and older, regardless of health status, will be able to enroll.
The official launch date will be marked by community events in seven cities across the country as well as an online event. Volunteers will join more than 25,000 participants already enrolled in All of Us as part of a yearlong beta test to prepare for the program’s national launch. The overall aim is to enroll 1 million or more volunteers and oversample communities that have been underrepresented in research to make the program the largest, most diverse resource of its kind.
I asked Eric Dishman, below, Director of “All of Us” how this ambitious project came about, AND WHAT MAKES IT UNIQUE?
I also asked Dr Eric Dishman, about his own experience with cancer and why the All of Us program is so important?? Dr Dishman says “I’m alive today because of precision medicine, and I think everyone deserves that same opportunity no matter the color of your skin, your economic status, your age or your sex or gender. In other words, it will truly take all of us.”
By partnering with 1 million diverse people who share information about themselves over many years, the All of Us Research Program will enable research to more precisely prevent and treat a variety of health conditions.
Participants are asked to share different types of health and lifestyle information, including online surveys and data from electronic health records (EHRs), which will continue to be collected over the course of the program.
I asked Dr. Dishman about security and protecting participants privacy, data and information. Check out with Dr. Dishman has to say about privacy…very important.
Most of today’s medical care is based on what happened to the average person in short studies of a few hundred or thousand patients with a specific health condition.
And most people who volunteer for those studies are white, leaving questions about the best care for people of different races.
One-size-fits-all is far from an optimal strategy, and enrollment for All of Us will begin in a big way on Sunday, May 6, but you can learn about it now by going to JoinAllofUs.org
So, if you’re inclined, join me, join AllOfUs at JoinAllOfUs.org you can opt out any time, but check it out…
