What’s particularly remarkable about it — and speaks to the broader goal of bringing more empathy to medicine — is that a user can request to feel the precise tremor of a loved one that they’re caring for. The idea is that it will inspire a caregiver to feel a stronger personal connection to the person with the disease. “To have the exact symptoms mirroring the person across from you certainly has a level of empathy that’s even greater than having a generalized symptom,” said Gautam Gulati, the company’s health innovator in residence and a physician, whose own father recently passed away from the disease.
Next up, Klick’s team is looking at other diseases that involve changes to sensory experiences, including chronic respiratory conditions. The biggest hurdles involve convincing federal regulators that it’s safe and effective, and figuring out whether clinicians, patients and caregivers would pay for it.
