While I’ve been in the business of marketing medical animations and illustrations, breaking my leg has truly opened my eyes to how beneficial a product we’ve created at Nucleus.
When I broke my leg in May playing soccer, no one actually thought it was broken. The field nurse, ambulance EMTs, ER nurse, ER doctor on duty, x-ray technician, etc. all told me it was probably a bad sprain. Six hours after the injury, I finally got to see my x-rays alongside my doctor. He explained that my fibula was broken with possible tearing of the ligaments in my ankle. He told me they’d splint it in the hospital and send me home with a referral for an orthopedist.
If there’s something that I’ve learned throughout my now 3-month-long bout with hospitals, doctor offices, and physical therapy sessions, it’s that doctors, nurses, PAs, PTs are all busy people. Their time is limited and whatever time you do get with them is at a premium.
It gave me new perspective on how little control we, as patients, have over the process. What was my prognosis? Will I need surgery? How do I use crutches? How long would it take to fully heal? I had so many questions, but little time to share with these experts.
What a difference it would have made to know why diagnostic tests were needed, the extent of my injury, even how to use crutches properly so I don’t face-plant down the stairs. How much more at ease would patients be if they could watch an animation about their injury, diagnostic test, or surgical procedure and pause, rewind, and re-watch it as many times as they needed, even at home?
The animation solution also provides providers and nurses with more time. Imagine giving an orthopedic surgery patient time to watch a video explaining their surgery. Meanwhile a nurse or physician can be visiting with other patients. When the provider returns, the patient already has a basic understanding of the procedure and can ask questions or talk about what’s next.
Nucleus has even created discharge animations that patients can use at home to learn about using their crutches, emptying a drainage tube, or removing a catheter. These types of animations were created to ensure patients aren’t returning to the emergency room with infections or more injuries.
While there’s no replacement for having your doctor spend more time with you, there are ways that providers can keep their patients feeling informed and “in the loop” regarding their own care. That’s a step toward better patient education and increased patient satisfaction, and medical animations can help.
For more information about using medical animations in your practice or for website or social media marketing, contact Nucleus Medical Media.
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