American Pharmaceutical Review
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In general terms, the word Luddite was originally coined to describe someone who is against the march of technology and its effects on the working force. In the early 1800s skilled weavers rebelled against mills and textile machinery destroying industrial equipment.
There is debate as to where the name Luddite came from, originally linked to a man named Ned Ludd, but over the years this has proven to be just a fictitious name created at the time.
Since the term was created, the word has morphed to describe someone who bemoans the march of technology and, in our time, specifically someone who dislikes the encroachment of computers and the intrusion of devices like cell phones, that are everywhere in our society. Although nowadays you rarely see people smashing either the equipment to make modern tech or the devices themselves.
Looking back over the last 100 years or so, I’m sure you can find reports of people claiming the latest tech, whether it was radio, television, cell phones, smart phones, or the internet would be the downfall of civilization. And, while all of these technologies have been used for both good and bad, I believe the good has outweighed the bad.
For example, I like to watch television. And I’m sure many will say most television programming is garbage and television itself is responsible for many of the maladies that afflict society. But I enjoy it. I also like watching commercials (some, not all) as there are some very clever ads out there (besides or in addition to Super Bowl commercials) and some that truly do provide useful information. For example, I found a great birthday present for my sister-in-law after seeing an ad on television.
Cell phones are another piece of tech that gets a lot of hate. I can see why. From texting while driving to constantly looking at the screen, instead of your surroundings, cell phones certainly cause angst. But, having the entirety of the world’s knowledge in the palm of your hand makes up for some of its shortcomings.
How does all this relate to healthcare? I’m getting there.
Atrial fibrillation or A-Fib is an abnormal heart rhythm that present itself as a rapid and irregular beating of the atrial chambers of the heart. A-Fib increases the risk of heart failure, dementia and stroke. There are several drugs available to treat A-Fib which are designed to slow the heart rate to as close to normal as possible. If you’ve seen any of the commercials for A-Fib treatments they usually feature sports stars or celebrities talking about their experiences with A-Fib and how they are treating it.
The other day while watching TV, a commercial caught my attention. The commercial was for a device that interfaces with your smartphone to enable anyone, anywhere to monitor their heart rhythm. Two small sensors are placed on the back of the phone. Simply rest your fingers on the sensors and your heart rhythm is calculated. Specifically designed for A-Fib patients to keep track of their illness – I let out a very audible, “That’s really cool!” To which my family, who were totally ignoring the TV, but deep into their phones, said “What?” and “Can you PLEASE lower the volume during commercials?”
Ah, technology! You have to love it.