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Visual Medical Education

Design thinking, represented by three sticky notes on a board, a progression of an antibody from sketch to 3d generated.

Images have the power to teach, to persuade, to move you emotionally, and to imprint themselves in your memory. Visual Medical Education (VME) creates innovative visual tools to improve educational and health outcomes, and to tell the story of our scientific discoveries. We are here to partner with School of Medicine faculty and our clinical colleagues. Digital technology now allows us to go far beyond the simple image. 3D animations, virtual and augmented reality, apps, social media, and the web offer many immersive ways to illuminate science.

VME is currently engaged with select projects in the School of Medicine. These projects are intended to explain our key discoveries and address important educational needs that affect a significant number of learners and change patient outcomes. We have developed training tools for clinical staff, educated patients, created materials for medical students, and co-authored a number of papers as we seek to base our designs on evidence.  

"Human-Centered Design" is a term that has recently made its way into the world of academic medicine. It is an increasingly popular process used to solve problems and guide innovation. Designers are driven by empathy to creatively solve problems for individuals who use our creations. We have been applying this way of thinking to our work for many years. Together with our partners in the Emory School of Medicine we are working to preserve health, extend life, and alleviate human suffering.

 

Animation

Computer animated movies, based on 3D models and 2D illustrations, are an effective way of maintaining attention and improving recall of the material.

Illustration

Images can be used across a variety of platforms including the web, print publications, and social media. These illustrations are faster to create than movies and interactive projects. Scientific accuracy and clarity are key.

Three neurosurgery illustrations depicting various craniotomy sites and measurements to allow the surgeon to gain access to different parts of the brain based on surface anatomy

Design

Information that is beautiful and well-organized will be better understood and remembered. Principles of design applied to non-visual processes, with the end-user in mind, can offer new insights. Often known as "design-thinking," and rooted in empathy for the end-user, this process strengthens the final outcome of any project. Patient education materials, informational graphics, interface design, charts, data visualization, and posters require an expert designer to effectively communicate with the learner.

Infographic design depicting the relationship between different tools and the components of care that they are used to effect.

3D Printing

The ability to take a computer model and print a custom physical model has exciting applications in medicine. A tangible model enables a learner to engage with their hands and combining this with other modalities such as illustrations or virtual reality (VR) can offer even more engaging learning tools. Our team currently employees 3D printing to aid in surgical training and simulation.

3D printed molecular model of belatacept

Apps

Mobile devices are ubiquitous and they give the teacher the ability to connect with learners remotely as well as an accessible learning platform in the classroom. We have extensive experience partnering with programmers to design the visual content that is needed in a native iOS, Android, or web app.

Posterior liver anatomy from the liver app, as viewed on an iPad

Augmented Reality / Virtual

Computer models can be used in a virtual world over even projected onto reality (augmented reality) through a viewer. These can offer powerful training opportunities as well as the ability to pre-visualize a new state or reality. Virtual reality is very immersive, while augmented reality allows the learner to stay engaged with both the content and the world around them.

Simulation of surgical residents viewing pelvic anatomy on mixed reality headset.

Imaging data reconstructions

The 3D technology we use to create illustrations and animations can also be used to reconstruct serial data such as CT scans, MRI studies, and more. We are also capable of incorporating proteins from the PDB and other sources into animations and illustrations to ensure accuracy.

3D digital reconstruction of the aorta, kidneys, and surrounding tissues and muscles.