Why N of 1 medicine still matters in a data-driven healthcare system

As healthcare becomes increasingly driven by data, automation, and population-based metrics, it’s easy to lose sight of the individual at the center of care. Yet the future of medicine doesn’t lie in choosing between technology and humanity—it lies in remembering that progress only matters when it serves the person in front of us.
This is where N of 1 medicine begins.
One of the last principles my father impressed upon me was simple but enduring: listen to people, understand their expectations, and honor them. It reinforced the foundation that has shaped CancerGeek’s philosophy at the N of 1.

What is N of 1?

The term refers to a personalized approach to care that treats the individual as the primary unit of medicine. It asks clinicians to see the person in front of them not as a category, diagnosis, or data, but as someone who deserves to be heard, understood and cared for based on their unique needs, and not what the “average” says.
It isn’t an alternative to medicine. It is medicine.
And like all meaningful practices in healthcare, a few simple truths guide it — principles that are easy to overlook in large systems, but essential to delivering high-quality, human-centered care.

Rule No. 1: Medicine begins with the person.

The art of medicine is at its best when two people are in a room together, having a real conversation and building trust.
Trust is earned through time, and time enables transparency. Transparency shapes understanding, which in turn becomes trust. This cycle sits at the heart of personalized care and what I often describe as The 4T’s of Healthcare.

Rule No. 2: Medicine begins and ends with the person.

There is a “me” in medicine, and without that “me,” medicine doesn’t exist.
Every clinical decision, workflow, and innovation must ultimately serve the individual whom it affects. True healthcare success accounts for more than just efficiency; it sustains quality of life, aligns with expectations, and respects dignity

Rule No. 3: Turn off all rings, pings, dings and other things.

Trust grows when attention is returned.
When someone gives you their time, presence is the least you can offer in return. In an age of constant alerts and interruptions, being fully present has become a form of care in itself.

Rule No. 4: Pass the mic to radiologists and pathologists

I hold deep respect for radiologists and pathologists — clinicians whose work often happens behind the scenes but shapes outcomes in profound ways.
Their expertise determines the care journey long before many decisions are visible. When their voices are elevated, people gain clarity, ask better questions, and become more active participants in their own health journey.

Rule No. 5: Technology should deepen meaningful connections, not take away from them

Healthcare technology has delivered extraordinary breakthroughs, from AI-assisted diagnostics to earlier detection and improved outcomes. That progress matters.
But not every innovation brings us closer to one another.
We must ask: does this technology reduce friction or introduce more complexity, support meaningful clinician–patient relationships, or add noise and distance? If it does the latter, it doesn’t belong in the care experience.

Back to the heart of N of 1

At its core, N of 1 medicine is a reminder.
A call to be human, to connect, and remember that for the person on the other side of the exam, this moment is everything. Your patient isn't one of many, but one.
My mission has always been to restore the art, sanctity, and focus of care, ensuring that people feel seen, heard, and understood as individuals. That is the promise of personalized medicine, and it remains the standard we should never abandon.
These principles don’t complicate medicine; rather, they return it to where it belongs.
As Socrates taught.
Always, at the N of 1.

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