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Self-Testing for Dementia: A Phenomenological Analysis of Fear
Kapeller,Alexandra de Boer,Marjolein
Kapeller,Alexandra
de Boer,Marjolein
Abstract
Following the growing economic relevance of mobile health (mHealth) and the increasing global prevalence of dementia, self-testing apps for dementia and mild neurocognitive disorder (MCD) have been developed and advertised. The apps' promise of a quick and easy tool has been criticized in the literature from a variety of angles, but as we argue in this article, the celebratory characterization of self-testing also stands in disbalance to the various kinds of fears that may be connected to taking the test. By drawing on Sara Ahmed's phenomenological theory on emotions and by referring to illustrative experiences from two users with a particular dementia self-testing app, we explore four dimensions of fear derived from phenomenology: performative, ontological, embodied, and temporal dimensions. We argue that fear (1) motivates one to take the self-test and to try to take control over one's health; (2) is shaped by and shapes the ways in which we make sense of ourselves and others as cognitively deficient; (3) constructs and is constructed by our differently embodied presence in the world; and that (4) testing makes a fearful future self as cognitively deficient more tangible. In outlining these different dimensions of fear, this article expands the understanding of the meaning of experiencing self-testing in comparison to the mostly quantitative literature on this topic.
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© 2024. The Author(s).
Date
2024-09
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Keywords
Dementia, Fear, Mild neurocognitive disorder, Phenomenology, Self-testing apps, mHealth
Citation
Kapeller, A & de Boer, M 2024, 'Self-Testing for Dementia : A Phenomenological Analysis of Fear', Journal of Medical Humanities, vol. 45, no. 3, pp. 267-281. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10912-024-09849-x