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Doctors direct a lot of time and effort into caring for patients. You want that investment to pay off, and sometimes that means your patients need to understand what's happening with their bodies.
3-D modeling applications are a powerful tool to help build that understanding.
The information gap
Years of study and practice equip you with a deep understanding of the human body and its supporting structures and systems. Even if you're unsure of something specific, you generally have enough contextual information to visualize what's going on.
Not so for your patients. In addition to being talented care providers, sometimes you must play the role of educator.
Visual learning
Research shows that students learn better with visual aids. It's reasonable to assume the same is true with a patient in the exam room.
Visual aids given in advance of a lecture improve both understanding and retention. You can use this behavior to help patients understand their diagnosis and what their treatment requires. What you show a patient before verbally explaining a medical condition impacts their understanding.
3-D models vs. narrative pamphlets
Using any visual aid is better than launching directly into a discussion with a patient. Remember, they are operating with significantly less education and may be struggling with the psychological implications of their medical condition.
Anything will help, but studies show that diagrammatic aids have more impact that outlines or narrative descriptions. Additionally, the rise of tablets, computers and mobile technology can be a boon to patient communication.
3-D modeling applications like Primal Pictures provide detailed depictions of human anatomy, physiology and functional movements. Some, like BioDigital 3-D Human Visualization for Anatomy and Disease, allow for the creation of interactive content to illustrate complex concepts.
Consider using one of these powerful modeling applications to narrow the information gap and improve patient communication.