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Abstract:
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In the context of the problem of the individualization of treatment, the article presents a theoretical background and heuristic for exploring the determinants of the treatment response. Multiple factors determining the treatment response are categorized as the “sensitivity to treatment” (St) and “capacity for spontaneous recovery” (Sp). The treatment, outcome, and “generating conditions” are considered in the frame of two complementary models. Traditionally in RCT measuring the treatment effect (defined as risk reduction), these factors assumed distributed randomly within the trial population (“gas model”). Alternatively, the trial population is considered as a mix of the randomly distributed factors and their deterministically related aggregations (“soup model”), in which the treatment response is defined as the individual way of reacting to the specified treatment. The article will present concepts, logic, and sequence of operations in the process of exploring, identifying, and mapping the properties St and Sp in single individuals and small groups comprising the heterogenous treatment population. The implications and limitations of the approach will be discussed.
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