Some Thoughts on Technology, Health, and the Public

At the time of writing this introduction, millennial fever is rising. The media feature persons expecting religious fulfillment, terrorist attacks, and computer-generated mayhem on January 1. Even sensible people wonder if extra cash should be withdrawn from the bank, whether investment funds should be moved to safer accounts, or if bottled water should be stashed away.

Our systems are fragile—or so we fear. Of course, you who are reading this are in a much better position to know the truth of things.

Examining the fear of Y2K computer bugs, one can see an underlying public distrust of technology. This distrust is nothing new; history offers many examples of resistance to the tools of change and progress. One need only recall the term “Luddite” to start a list—a long list, too. And these days, one could add to this list the distrust of traditional Western medicine.

In consumer-driven medicine, nothing is as “hot” right now as herbal remedies. Public fixation on herbal cures defies the countless dollars invested in pharmaceutical and medical device research. It ignores the work of talented and critical biomedical researchers. Why does the consumer feel better when ingesting a plant, even though its production and purity be minimally regulated and its effects uncertain? Real-life physicians should shake their heads when they see an actor who plays a doctor on a TV show extol medicinal herbs to an audience of millions. Is an actor's health advice more valuable than a doctor's? Are herbal remedies more useful than drugs that cost billions to develop? Why is the public so intrigued?

Perhaps discoveries at the forefront of genetics, neurology, biochemistry and such—unfathomable to the average person—make us fear we'll end up like Frankenstein's monster, unhappy in an artificial health that's out of control. Or perhaps in the efficiency crunch of contemporary healthcare, patients believe no one cares how they really feel. Out of distrust, the public looks for alternatives.

There is value in alternative therapies, too, especially those that integrate the power of the human brain into the pursuit of better health. Why not creatively explore how to use the mind's power to our advantage? Just about any issue of Science shows how much we need to learn about the brain's machinations. Let's critically assess all means to understanding.

Medical science, because it's comprised of healers who are human, can consider the feelings of patients. And technology can assist by stretching the capacity to feel (and understand): e.g., in telemedicine consultations, during computer-aided surgery, through immersive mental health therapy, with Internet forums for patients, and in the examination of biological minutiae projected onto screens much larger than life, color-coded and with freeze-frame.

From its start, Medicine Meets Virtual Reality has presented these kinds of technologies. It has also helped direct them to where they're most needed: in the hospital, clinic, office, and home. As organizers of this conference, we're pleased to see how ideas presented in the early years are evolving into tools for real patient care. We chose this year's theme—how technology is (or can be) involved in the relationship between patient and medical practitioner—to emphasize that the work presented at MMVR is reaching the point where it really can affect health. “Envisioning healing” isn't a future activity anymore.

For those who work in the field, VR technology probably appears to be leveling off, its refinements growing more subtle and radical changes less frequent. For the layperson, however, the connection of computer technology to human health is still suspicious and the fear of losing control very real.

We know this technology is marvelous. You who are part of MMVR should share that marvel with the public. Protect your ideas while you apply for patents and construct your IPOs, but then be sure to let the public know this technology is all about them—or really, about all of us.

James D. Westwood

Aligned Management Associates, Inc.