The ITFOM ('IT [information technology] future of medicine') project works in developing an innovative European network for personalised health care which could revolutionise health care. In addition, it could suppose a save on the health-care costs.

The ITFOM consortium comprises 25 research institutes and industry groups from Europe and abroad. The ITFOM project is based in creating 'virtual patients' (computational models of individual people) that will help specialists create personalised health systems based on patients' genetic and physiological make-up. This project counts with a funding of €1.48 million from the Seventh Framework Programme.

With this project, the main benefits will be for doctors in addition to patiets because they will have instant and in-depth knowledge of their patients' health needs and medical history. Not only will this give patients fast diagnoses of what ails them, but it will protect them from life-threatening side effects of wrongly prescribed medication. Another upshot is that less money will be spent on drugs.

In order to achieve this goal getting and evaluating patient data quickly is key, as are the dynamic storage and processing of real-time patient data into relevant mathematical models. Bringing to fruition novel systems that can learn, predict and inform is also part of the plan. Doing all this will ensure that health care professionals and patients are given the support they need for good health and treatment.