How This Forward-Thinking Insurer Uses Medical Animation to Educate and Empower Their Members
Health insurers have a vested interest in promoting the health and well-being of their members. Apart from providing financial protection against medical expenses, insurers have a crucial role to play in encouraging good health practices, disease prevention and medical decision making for their members. Medical animation has emerged as an effective tool in achieving these objectives, and HCF (Hospitals Contribution Fund of Australia), has embraced this approach by leveraging the Nucleus Animation Library to educate their members.
Enhancing Member Education for Informed Medical Decisions
Medical animations are a powerful means of communicating complex medical concepts in a clear and engaging manner. They can effectively explain a variety of topics, from diseases and conditions to the mechanism of action of various medications. HCF recognizes the value of medical animation and has invested in the Nucleus Animation Library to provide easy access to high-quality, medically accurate animations for their members. Dr. Andrew Cottrill, Chief Medical Officer at HCF explains, “HCF wanted to assist our members with information to help them make informed choices about their care. These materials help inform and empower members, and assist them in making decisions, and know what questions to ask of their care team.”
Motivation to Explore Medical Animation
HCF’s decision to explore the use of medical animations stems from their commitment to assist members in making informed choices about their care. As Dr. Cottrill, states, “We developed a suite of materials called ‘Preparing for Hospital’ that helps members learn about what to expect, how to prepare, and what happens during and after a procedure”. Recognizing the importance of appealing to different learning styles, HCF found that 3D animations were particularly useful in providing visual, clear, and easy-to-understand information to their members.
Impact of Medical Animation Integration
The integration of medical animation has significantly impacted HCF’s program, enriching their educational materials and making them appealing to a wider audience. By including 3D animations alongside video interviews and in-depth text materials, HCF has created a valuable and credible resource for their members. The incorporation of these animations into their communication strategy – along with sending emails with links to members prior to their procedures – has empowered members to make informed decisions and actively engage in their healthcare journey.
Improved Communication
Another advantage is their ability to communicate health information more effectively than traditional methods like text or lectures. Dr. Cottrill states, “Medical animations can bring complex medical concepts to life in a way that is visually appealing and easy to understand.”
Feedback from HCF-Insured Members
The feedback from HCF-insured members regarding the use of animated content in the program has been very positive. HCF’s materials, including the animations, have been well received, with members finding them helpful and informative. Dr. Cottrill confirms, “The materials have been well received by our members, and even our staff have enjoyed them. It was also important to us that they are as accurate as possible.”
Health insurers like HCF are using medical animations to better serve their members. Dr. Cottrill stands by his decision to incorporate animation into their educational programs, explaining, “We wanted the resource to be multi-media in order to appeal to the different learning styles of members. This is where the 3D animation has been particularly useful in that they are visual, clear and easy to understand.”