Hear Laurie in one of the following:

2024 What's Next Longevity Venture Summit (online)

2024 Longevity Venture Summit (DC)

Related News Articles

03/22/2024

Cost of in-home care soars by double digits in just a few years.

03/20/2024

The pandemic wasn't the wake-up call elder advocates expected.

03/19/2024

Tech companies are pushing their remote monitoring service to primary care doctors.

02/07/2024

GrandPad announces Grandie, an AI-powered virtual companion.

01/30/2024

The rise of passive, non-intrusive PERS devices at CES.

Monthly blog archive

You are here

Why choice architecture matters - more from Connected Health (4 of 5)

Professor Cass Sunstein, Professor at Harvard Law School, an articulate if somewhat low-key speaker, introduced (from his book “Nudge”) the concept of Libertarian Paternalism which utilizes 'choice architecture'. He describes libertarian paternalism as follows: "The libertarian aspect of the approach lies in the straightforward insistence that, in general, people should be free to do what they like. They should be permitted to opt out of arrangements they dislike, and even make a mess of their lives if they want to. The paternalistic aspect acknowledges that it is legitimate for choice architects to try to influence people's behavior in order to make their lives longer, healthier and better."

So automatic enrollment in savings plans  that require ‘opt out’ not ‘opt in’ as defaults would increase percentage of savers. Organ donation programs that assume people want to donate, rather than non-donation as the default would save more lives. In this way, we can encourage children to eat healthier food by placing it near entrance of line in cafeteria. Likewise, we provide encouragement to conserve energy by offering context. For example, when homes use less electricity, provide them with information that compares their usage to their neighbors and praise them.

This concept of architecting choices to produce the desired (perhaps best) outcome has profound implications for product design in the aging in place technology market. Consider sorting of phone numbers in a cell phone, or notification order for a personal emergency response device, or the configuration of medication reminders.

 

 

category tags: 

Categories

login account