Toward precision public health

AbstractObjectivesThe information in this article is based on a presentation given at the American Institute of Dental Public Health's 2018 Colloquium on Precision Public Health (PPH). A brief introduction to precision medicine provides context for PPH. Precision medicine tailors treatment and prevention strategies for individual patients based on variability of genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. An overview of PPH with examples of pilot studies with different research approaches bridges a discussion on an initiative undertaken by the University of Florida to build infrastructure and expertise for PPH research.MethodsPPH use better and more precise data to target disease prevention and control in the right population at the right time. To facilitate the identification of relevant open access data sources for PPH research a “one‐stop” shop was created and tested. Case studies were conducted to validate the data portal's usefulness in identifying at‐risk populations.ResultsDetails of portal data types, research challenges, and university‐wide integrated programs are included. Case studies indicated that providing a “one‐stop shop” of relevant data sources is an effective