New Device Can Show People What It Feels Like to Be Sick
Imagine giving teen smokers the sensation of having a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a painful disorder which ends in difficulty breathing and a persistent cough.
That might look like the stuff of science fiction, "Black Mirror" even, however, a group of designers and engineers in Toronto are constructing technology to give perfectly healthy individuals the sensation of having an illness.
Th Klick Health, recently revealed their new apparatus to simulate the tremors which are commonly associated with Parkinson's Disease. Earlier this week I tried it out to myself at a medical conference, also has been deeply affected by the experience. My hands prevented me from eating from a spoon or writing my name.
The business is currently working on a device.
Klick goal is to build compassion between their caregivers and patients. Nonetheless, it's potential that technology like this will be used to dissuade people from unhealthy behaviors.
And it might be just extreme enough to get the job done.
Changing behavior is a lot more challenging than providing people a Fitbit or an Apple Watch. Studies have discovered that technology that nudges users to take their medications on time or exercise more frequently isn't sustainable in the long-term.
Think about how many of these devices wind up collecting dust in the back of a cupboard.
This new approach might work but has to be researched. "I do think you could dissuade users using a virtual atmosphere," explained John Brownstein, a Harvard professor and the chief innovation officer at Boston Children's Hospital.
Klick's devices might play a role, but Brownstein sees possible for augmented and virtual reality. For instance, these technologies could be used to "age" people to show how they may look after several decades of smoking (makeup artists have attempted that on young smokers, but it is uncertain if the outcomes affected).
It might not work for everybody. The optimism bias, a documented scientific cognitive effect that causes an individual to believe that they are at a lower risk of experiencing a negative status compared to other, may hinder its potency. Additionally, studies have discovered that using fear as a portion of a punishment process is unlikely to succeed in promoting healthy behaviors.
Brownstein thinks it is worth a shot. "Direct experience of future symptoms may potentially alter the course of someone's unhealthy habits," he said.
