For doctors and family members caring for someone who is unwell, it’s often very difficult to understand and emphasize with what they are going through. Even more so if the disorder is pyschological.

I’ve often heard about organizations trying to help folks see the world through the eyes of patients — often turning to new technology and other tools that create a virtual reality. Recently, Sri Ramaswami, a friend of mine in PR at Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen company, told me about a new virtual reality tool that they had developed to help people understand what it’s like to walk in the shoes of a schizophrenic. Some coverage of this initiative here, here and here.