Journal of Visual Communication in Medicine最新文献

Drawing has long accompanied surgical training and practice. In craniofacial surgery - where three-dimensional deformities and long treatment pathways are common - drawing may support observation, operative planning, documentation, education, communication, and psychosocial care. This article reviews historical perspectives and contemporary literature, highlighting drawing - including emerging digital approaches - as a complementary, pragmatic, and patient-centred tool in modern craniofacial practice. It also considers emerging digital and AI-supported tools and proposes directions for future research on learning, communication, and patient experience.

This paper and accompanying video present stop-motion and digitally reversed dissection as contemporary methods of exhibiting cadaveric anatomy. Stop-motion techniques can give the impression of an 'invisible dissector', providing a unique and intriguing view of the body disassembling itself. Digitally reversed dissection then allows reversal of stop-motion footage, enabling the viewer to witness the body being reassembled, thus highlighting structural relationships from a new perspective. This alternate form of time-lapse video was established as an effective method of recording small and complex body regions without the dissector obstructing the field of view. Implementation of these techniques is showcased and described here with reference to dissection of a soft-fix cadaveric hand. Both technical and pedagogical strengths and limitations of these techniques are discussed and some advice on production of dissection videos has been offered.

The anatomical structure of the heart is complex, demanding detailed understanding for effective clinical interpretation and medical education. YouTube is frequently used as a learning tool for anatomy, but the quality and accuracy of its content are inconsistent. This study systematically evaluated 58 YouTube videos on heart anatomy using the Brave browser in incognito mode. Video characteristics (duration, resolution), engagement metrics (views, likes), and content quality were assessed using the Global Quality Scale (GQS), Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Score, modified DISCERN, and an Anatomical Content Score. Statistical analyses were conducted using Jamovi 2.6.24.0. Results indicated that 44.8% of videos were created by anatomists, and 75.9% involved healthcare professionals. The most common format was animation (29.3%), while cadaver-based content was limited (12.1%). Videos presented by physicians achieved significantly higher GQS and modified DISCERN scores. Longer videos correlated with greater educational quality and user engagement. High-resolution videos showed higher view rates and Video Power Index, though resolution did not significantly affect quality scores. Overall, YouTube provides moderate-quality educational content on heart anatomy. Enhancing author transparency, referencing, and the use of cadaveric material may improve its value as a reliable educational resource.

In the 1990s, digital imaging began to supersede film-based imaging. W. J. Mitchell declared photography dead, or more precisely, radically and permanently displaced. Cameras have evolved from mechanical depicting devices into fully automated digital machines. Throughout the history of our profession, people have feared that new technology would threaten our livelihood. Yet, professional photography has consistently prevailed due to its unique artistic vision and technical expertise. It is not merely a job, but a craft that captures and preserves the essence of our world. That is why professional photography is not dead, but more relevant and necessary than ever. Marx foresaw a time when the issue would shift from reducing the necessary labour time to create surplus value to minimising the required labour of society. He optimistically claimed that 'The counterpart of this reduction is that all members of society can develop their education in the arts, sciences, etc., thanks to the free time available to all'. Are we really at a stage where photographers have become superfluous, spending their time in joy and merriment without any income? Is professional photography, as we know it, dead? I firmly believe it is not.

Veterinary students at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences must learn the structures of the porcine gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, access to porcine cadaver material is limited. We developed a digital tool: 'Digital Porcine GI Tract'. This study evaluates the tool's effectiveness in enhancing students' ability to identify structures on cadaver material. Students were split into 2 groups: Group A was given access to the tool and their use was tracked; Group B was not given access. After one week, both groups took a quiz on pig GI tract prosections. Students were asked whether they had viewed cadaver pig GI tracts in lab before the quiz and then divided into three Groups: (1) Students who used the digital tool, (2) Students who studied the pig GI tract prosections and (3) Students who did neither. As expected, students in Groups 1 and 2, mean score of 85% and 62% respectively, outperformed those in Group 3 on the quiz, mean score of 49%. More importantly, students in Group 1 performed better on the quiz than students in Group 2. Digital learning tools are viable for supplementing cadaver material in veterinary anatomy education, particularly when cadaver material is limited.

Scientific communications help individuals to be better informed on health issues. Robot-assisted surgery is currently a topic of growing concern within private health sector in Mexico and, eventually, it will also reach the public health system; however, the gap among the population in terms of health knowledge affects their ability in decision making when it comes to personal treatment. The objective of this project is to evaluate a scientific infographic about robotic surgery. The informative quality of the contents was tested, as well as the visual storytelling produced by Medical Illustration, and their ability to bring the subject closer to the people. This qualitative study situated in Puebla, Mexico, included participants who were selected using a non-probability sampling technique and divided into four groups. For the first three groups, open-ended interviews and observations were conducted. For the fourth group, data was collected using an online form. Findings suggest Information Design practices are effective strategies that strengthen infographic results, therefore helping to optimise the informative experience by using a variety of visual representations to enhance its storytelling. This is translated to augmenting infographic's explanatory and informative richness, triggering deeper interest and understanding in the subject of robot-assisted surgery.

Readily available medical resources often do not include diverse skin colours of global populations. Within our research area of retinopathy of prematurity, we noticed the lack of skin colour diversity and toi Māori (Māori art) in information resources. This commentary describes a collaboration with a ringatoi Māori (Māori artist), resulting in the creation of toi Māori to be included in medical resources for pēpi receiving retinopathy of prematurity eye examinations in Aotearoa New Zealand. The use of toi Māori assists in communicating health information to patients and their whānau and including diverse skin colours contributes to improved diagnostic training of health professionals and subsequent timely diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions within diverse skin populations.

Digital anatomy specimens are increasingly being produced using photogrammetric modelling, but student perceptions of their usability and fidelity are infrequently evaluated. This study used a high-resolution digital camera (hrDC) and smartphone camera to create photogrammetric models of a porcine heart and evaluated their usability (primary aim) and visual fidelity (secondary aim). Student evaluation (n = 52) of prototype models using a Likert-type questionnaire was undertaken. Results demonstrated that both smartphone and hrDC-based photogrammetry produced highly usable models (median usability statement agreement = 5/5 for both hrDC and smartphone models; p = 0.325). The appearance of the smartphone-based model was significantly inferior to those produced by the high-resolution camera on multiple domains including colour (median hrDC agreement = 5/5, median smartphone agreement = 4/5; p < 0.05), texture (median hrDC agreement = 5/5, median smartphone agreement = 3/5; p < 0.05), and clarity of internal structures (median hrDC agreement = 5/5, median smartphone agreement = 4/5; p < 0.05). Specific features on the smartphone-based model were less easily identified, including the pulmonary valve (p < 0.05) and papillary muscle (p < 0.05). These data indicate that a usable anatomical model can be created with smartphone images but is of a lower fidelity when compared to those produced by a high-resolution digital camera.

Conduct a scoping review to identify existing low back pain (LBP) patient decision aids (PtDAs) and assess their use of visual aids. LBP PtDAs were identified using the Ottawa Health Research Institute (OHRI) PtDA database and PubMed. Three interdisciplinary reviewers assessed understandability and actionability using the Patient Educational Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT), with readability evaluated via the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level test. Six LBP PtDAs were found in the OHRI database and three in PubMed, for a total of nine. The mean PEMAT understandability score was 85%, while the mean PEMAT actionability was 68% (adequacy threshold for each section = 70%). Most used tables and scales (8/9), while fewer used pictographs (2/9), photographs (1/9), bar and pie charts (1/9), or illustrated diagrams (1/9). The mean reading level was Grade 5. Existing LBP PtDAs prioritise text over visuals and perform well on understandability and grade reading level, but less effectively on actionability. These findings highlight the need for interdisciplinary approaches to PtDA conceptualization, design, and evaluation to create tools that are relevant and impactful to patients and caregivers.