Neuroethical considerations and attitudes about neurostimulation as a fatigue countermeasure among emergency responders.

Abstract

Introduction: First responders play a pivotal role in ensuring the wellbeing of individuals during critical situations. The demanding nature of their work exposes them to prolonged shifts and unpredictable situations, leading to elevated fatigue levels. Modern countermeasures to fatigue do not provide the best results. This study evaluates the acceptance and ethical considerations of a novel fatigue countermeasure using transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for fire and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel.

Methods: To better understand first responders' perceptions and ethical concerns about this novel fatigue countermeasure in their work, we conducted semi-structured interviews with first responders (N = 20). Interviews were transcribed into text and analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Results: Over half of responders (59%) were interested, but over a third had a cautionary stand. Half of the participants seemed to have positive views regarding acceptability; a few were more cautionary or hesitant. A main area of consideration was user control (75%), with the majority wanting to retain some control over when or whether to accept the stimulation. Just above half of the participants (64%) mentioned privacy concerns. Another relevant consideration, raised by 50% of participants, was safety and the potential impact of stimulation (e.g., side effects, long-term effects). Overall, participants thought they needed to understand the system better and agreed that more education and training would be required to make people more willing to use it.

Discussion: Our exploration into combating fatigue among first responders through tDCS has revealed promising initial reactions from the responder community. Findings from this study lay the groundwork for a promising solution, while still in a nascent design stage, to improve the effectiveness and resilience of first responders in fatiguing shifts and critical situations.