Graphic design is one of the most underrated methods for easing pain. Visualizations of data and research findings can help people understand their diagnoses better, which can lead to lowered stress levels, reduced depression and anxiety, and increased certainty about their treatment options. It doesn’t sound like much at first—until somebody who has used it tells you they were only hurting when they looked away. Pixel 3xl project cars wallpaper is one of the best ones for your desktop background.
Researchers and medical personnel have been using visualizations for years, but when the Center for Medical Literacy at Boston Children’s Hospital gave adult patients a tool to make sense of complex information through visualizations, it was a revelation. And the research has borne out their findings: Patients with cancer who worked closely with oncology researchers were able to better understand their diagnosis and treatment options than those who just received standard care. By having oncologists working closely with graphic designers, there was an improvement in understanding among patients and providers alike.
How Graphic Design Can Ease Your Pain :
1. It’s simple to learn:
Graphic designers and information designers don’t have specific backgrounds in science, health care, or medicine. Graphic design is the most effective way of communicating complex data in a way that’s easily understood by any person, not just those who are experts in the field. In fact, studies show that people who are able to understand complex information without having to read many pages of text are more likely to take action on their own than those who need to read up on every tiny piece of data. And when you’re reading about a subject you already know about—like pain—it’s easy to understand a visualization than a long paragraph.
2. It only takes one person to make the difference:
One doctor and one graphic designer can make a huge difference. A Boston Children’s Hospital study found that when a medical oncologist worked closely with a medical graphic designer, there was an improvement in understanding among patients and providers alike. In fact, patients rated the doctors higher for their understanding of the cancer treatment process and for their ability to provide information about their treatment options. The oncologist and graphic designer were able to work side-by-side to help a patient understand their diagnosis and treatment options.
3. It can help people who have been misinformed:
Graphic design and medicine aren’t about making patients feel better, but about helping them understand their diagnoses so they can be treated more effectively. Data visualization can help make sense of complex information and put that information into personal terms. And to make charts more effective, they should be used alongside an explanation of each piece of data and the underlying science that drove the research behind it. If there is one piece of advice we could give, it would be this: when you look at a chart designed by a graphic designer, read everything it says before you assume the meaning behind it is true.
4. It can help patients understand the power of their choices:
Graphic design isn’t just a way of making information more understandable, but more relevant. Data visualizations can make data seem more urgent and important to patients who need to know their risk factors for chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The chart below shows how much each risk factor contributes to heart disease, for example. The charts above show how smoking or not exercising doesn’t just affect your body, but also the people around you.
5. It can help people make better decisions:
Graphic design can help people make better decisions by showing them how the data they are looking at is related to the other pieces of information they already have. Although many studies have shown that people who don’t understand difficult medical findings tend to be more pessimistic and doubtful about their disease, others have also found that just understanding the basic premise of what’s going on in their body is enough to improve their outlook and reduce stress. When you put different pieces of information together, it can show you a whole new picture that you wouldn’t be able to see otherwise.
6. It can show them the power of their choices:
If you don’t know how something works, it’s not very useful. And when you can’t see how your choices are likely to play out in the future, it can seem like there’s little that you can do to change your health. But if you have a visual representation of the gradual impact of your decisions, it makes it easier to know what to do next and what the potential outcomes are. In fact, graphic design is one of the most effective ways of communicating complex data and data analysis in a way that’s easy for people to understand.
