In this article we explore how diagnostic and therapeutic technologies shape the lived experiences of illness for patients. By analysing a wide range of examples, we identify six ways that technology can (trans)form the experience of illness (and health). First, technology may create awareness of disease by revealing asymptomatic signs or markers (imaging techniques, blood tests). Second, the technology can reveal risk factors for developing diseases (e.g., high blood pressure or genetic tests that reveal risks of falling ill in the future). Third, the technology can affect and change an already present illness experience (e.g., the way blood sugar measurement affects the perceived symptoms of diabetes). Fourth, therapeutic technologies may redefine our experiences of a certain condition as diseased rather than unfortunate (e.g. assisted reproductive technologies or symptom based diagnoses in psychiatry). Fifth, technology influences illness experiences through altering social-cultural norms and values regarding various diagnoses. Sixth, technology influences and changes our experiences of being healthy in contrast and relation to being diseased and ill. This typology of how technology forms illness and related conditions calls for reflection regarding the phenomenology of technology and health. How are medical technologies and their outcomes perceived and understood by patients? The phenomenological way of approaching illness as a lived, bodily being-in-the-world is an important approach for better understanding and evaluating the effects that medical technologies may have on our health, not only in defining, diagnosing, or treating diseases, but also in making us feel more vulnerable and less healthy in different regards.

中文翻译：

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医疗技术如何塑造疾病体验

在本文中，我们探讨了诊断和治疗技术如何影响患者的生活经历。通过分析大量示例，我们确定了技术可以（转变）疾病（和健康）体验的六种方式。首先，技术可以通过显示无症状的体征或标志物（影像技术，血液检查）来提高人们对疾病的认识。其次，该技术可以揭示疾病发展的风险因素（例如，高血压或基因检测可以揭示将来患病的风险）。第三，该技术可以影响和改变已经存在的疾病体验（例如，血糖测量影响糖尿病的感知症状的方式）。第四，治疗技术可以重新定义我们对某种疾病的经历，而不是不幸的经历（例如 辅助生殖技术或精神病学中基于症状的诊断）。第五，技术通过改变有关各种诊断的社会文化规范和价值观来影响疾病体验。第六，相对于患病和患病，技术影响并改变了我们健康的经历。关于技术如何形成疾病和相关状况的这种类型，需要反思有关技术和健康的现象学。患者如何看待和理解医疗技术及其成果？从现象上将疾病视为一种有生命的，身体上存在的世界是一种重要的方法，可以更好地理解和评估医疗技术可能对我们的健康产生的影响，而不仅仅是定义，诊断或治疗疾病，