Doctors at a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Boston are lining up to don a pair of electrified neoprene gloves and stand on a treadmill in a brushed-steel booth. Before long, they find
themselves wobbling on the treadmill, with a blurry image in front of them, and hot air blowing against their back.
Welcome to the newest drug company marketing strategy: empathy. The
four-minute simulation puts doctors in the shoes of a typical multiple sclerosis patient, a 30-something woman struggling to keep her life together as her body slips from her control. With a video,
headphones, and two wobbly treadmill tracks, the machine attempts to mimic the lack of coordination, blurred vision and other signs of an attack.
The marketing theory behind the
simulator is that a more empathetic doctor is more likely to treat patients aggressively, which means prescribing more drugs. Biogen Idec and Elan Pharmaceuticals commissioned the machine for the
meeting; it was designed by New York marketing firm RJO Group.
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