The Business Case for Epigenesis

A perfect storm of the health-care crisis has emerged in the United States and is making its way through the entire industrialized world. Healthcare has had similar challenges for nearly a century, but with the advent of the largest aging population ever in our history, the government “control” of healthcare through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and the struggling US and global economy are emblematic of the external drivers and challenges facing healthcare today. Some of the challenges to the efficient and effective delivery to positive outcomes of healthcare in the United States are:

• Medical doctors are retiring above replacement rates;
• Hospitals are closing and unable to meet the burdensome regulatory environment;
• There is and continues to be a shortage of nurses;
• There is and continues to be a shortage of doctors;
• There is and continues to be a shortage of residencies;
• There is and continues to be a shortage of faculty to teach in both medical schools and nursing schools.

Healthcare costs continue to rise well above rates of inflation-in the past decade healthcare premiums have risen 131% according to the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The IOM conservatively estimates wasteful spending (e.g. unnecessary services, excessive administrative costs, inefficiently delivered services, fraud, etc.) in excess of $250 billion. And, now a tremendous amount of uncertainty has been introduced into every level of decision-making, be it individual, organizational, institutional or governmental with the advent of the PPACA. The current system of business and medical practices with a market size of nearly $6 trillion globally, can only be marginally improved without significantly altered paradigms and practices. Enter the emerging science of epigenetics.

Epigenetics is where modern systems biology intersects with quantum mechanics. It provides a new framework for the rules of heredity, who we are, our relationship with disease and our personal and societal responsibility for wellness. Epigenetics research recognizes that our DNA is not our destiny, but that DNA simply establishes the initial conditions for how the cells that comprise our body communicate and respond internally and externally with our environment. Epigenetic models establish that our cellular structure can be modified by thoughts, perceptions, beliefs, environment, diet and behavior thus determining who we are, how we respond to disease, what we are and in many ways, what we will become, ending all aspects of disease “victimhood.”

Our genetic structure cannot change. Rather, a “signal” from our environment (internal or external) activates how a particular gene expresses itself. The signal alters a protein which then can alter the function or behavior of a particular cell. The implications for this emerging science is manifest, affecting how we, with the proper assistance, can take full responsibility for our well-being and virtually cure, if not eliminate all diseases and disorders.

Epigenetics research and practice takes place within the various realms of advanced biology, conventional and alternative medicine, advanced physics, engineering, materials science, psychology, genetics and other fields. It is ameta-discipline. Significant research has been accomplished and practice modalities developed, however, epigenetics’ full potential is currently being stifled and poorly realized due to information fragmentation and mis-coordination of human action among the various disciplines.

As in any profession, the meta-discipline of epigenetics, while capacious, suffers in part, because most expertise is derived and manifest because of an individual’s experience and information within and through a singular understanding of a particular field of study. In addition, the study of genetics as a part of the medical school curriculum would be graded “incomplete.” In 2004 only one of the top 20 medical schools in the US required genetic coursework. Though medical schools have improved, integration of genetics across other subjects is minimal. The medical school training is further limited by a lack of genetics application during residency. In spite of efforts to expand genetics training and education, the inclusion of genetic material on the U.S. Medical Licensing Examinations has been minimal.

In their September 6, 2012 report, the Institute of Medicine published a year-long study entitled “Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Healthcare in America.” The authors state that “Although unprecedented levels of information are available, patients and clinicians often lack access to guidance that is relevant, timely and useful for the circumstance at hand. Overcoming this challenge will require applying computing capabilities and analytical approaches to develop real-time insights from routine patient care, disseminating knowledge using new technological tools and addressing the regulatory challenges that can inhibit progress.” That conclusion provides to us the essence, rationale and warrant for starting Epigenesis.

In their September 6, 2012 report, the Institute of Medicine published a year-long study entitled “Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Healthcare in America.” The authors state that “Although unprecedented levels of information are available, patients and clinicians often lack access to guidance that is relevant, timely and useful for the circumstance at hand. Overcoming this challenge will require applying computing capabilities and analytical approaches to develop real-time insights from routine patient care, disseminating knowledge using new technological tools and addressing the regulatory challenges that can inhibit progress.” That conclusion provides to us the essence, rationale and warrant for starting Epigenesis.