Animation gets the message out

Week #9, Article #2

1.    Gordon, Cathy. (2013, October 27).  Health Zone:  Technology:  Animation gets the message out.  Houston Chronicle, K4.

2.    Category of problem:  Health

3.    Level of problem:  National level

4.    The article concerns:  Animation is being used as a communication tool for medical students, doctors, technicians and patients.

5.    Why is this important to families / individuals OR how does it affect individuals / families?

a.    When doctors explain the techniques of a procedure to a student or patient, they oftentimes lose the student or patient because the explanation cannot be “seen”.  Animation technology provides a way for someone to engage in the actual procedure to be done.

6.    What are your views on the issue / policy?       

a.    I grew up watching cartoons, and was always amazed at how detailed some of the programs could get to real life.  With the advancements of animation technology in film making, law enforcement re-enactments and manufacturing, it seems to be a natural fit to use it in the medical field.  Teaching doctors have always been limited to such things as picture slides or cadavers to explain a procedure to his students, but animation allows a big step forward.  I think it will be especially useful for doctors and surgeons in explaining to a patient how a particular surgery will be done.  When a doctor can show a patent how his heart surgery or hip replacement will proceed, without all the blood and gore, then the patient has got to feel better and be less anxious when it comes time for the surgery.  Medical professionals will be able to build a library of these animations to pull from when they need to learn a new technique.  Young people entering the medical field who have grown up with video games on PlayStations and Xboxes will grasp this technology, and should be more proficient in their area of specialization.  Animation can be more beneficial than actual videos to doctors because it can show the underside of an incision showing skin or muscle in transparency to reveal what lies underneath the cut.  The technology opens up other possibilities as well for animation software designers.  Working with doctors, drug manufacturers or even medical equipment companies, a software engineer can be an invaluable asset to this field.  Technology innovations, like animation, are moving ahead so quickly that there should be an enormous demand for careers for anyone willing to pursue it – without the incredible debt associated with medical school and internship of doctors.  I think it is a fascinating challenge.