EP PerMed has published a new report presenting the first results of its multilingual survey on public awareness, perceptions, expectations and concerns regarding Personalised Medicine (PM). The findings provide a baseline for understanding how people perceive personalised medicine and highlight important priorities for communication, engagement, trust and equitable access.
The survey was launched in August 2025 and is available in 16 languages. By August 2026, 354 people had participated.
Strong Support – but Gaps in Awareness, Access and Information
The results indicate broad support for the development and implementation of personalised medicine. Respondents were generally optimistic about its potential benefits, particularly regarding improved diagnosis, more effective treatments and disease prevention.
At the same time, the survey identifies a gap between positive attitudes towards PM and people’s actual experience and understanding. Only a minority of respondents reported having experienced personalised medicine approaches, while many were uncertain whether such approaches would be accessible to them. Respondents also tended to perceive their healthcare systems as not yet fully prepared for the implementation of personalised medicine.
Communication emerged as another important issue. Although more than half of respondents reported being moderately or extremely familiar with personalised medicine, around three quarters considered information about PM not easily available to citizens. Healthcare professionals were identified as the most trusted source for communicating information about personalised medicine, underlining their important role in increasing public awareness and understanding.
Trust and Health Data are Central Issues
The survey also explored attitudes towards the use and sharing of health and genetic data. Respondents showed considerable willingness to share data for healthcare and research purposes, but trust strongly depended on the recipient. Public research institutions were viewed more favourably than private organisations.
Data security, misuse of genetic information, commercial exploitation, privacy and equitable access were among the main concerns raised by participants. The report therefore highlights transparent governance, robust data protection and clear communication as important elements for maintaining public confidence in personalised medicine.
A Baseline for Future People Engagement
The report emphasises that the current sample is not representative of the European population. Respondents were predominantly highly educated and many were already connected to healthcare, research or policy communities. Older people, people with lower educational attainment and minority groups were under-represented.
The results should therefore be understood as a living baseline. The survey remains open, allowing EP PerMed to broaden participation and monitor how awareness, trust and acceptance develop over time. The findings will also support EP PerMed’s activities on people engagement, communication and the implementation of personalised medicine across Europe.