Data suggests that individuals don’t read content online so much as visualize it, and health visualizations can greatly improve health literacy and patient activation. Furthermore, infographics can do all this in seconds. A Forbes piece, “Seeing is Believing: Infographics Revolutionizing the Patient Experience,” details the many benefits of these visualizations.

The following are some of the many ways that infographics can enhance patient experiences:

  • A picture is worth a thousand words. Pictures can provide a large amount of information in a short amount of time. Rather than using long paragraphs to impart information, a simply image can explain the concept in a short amount of time.
  • Psychology of a patient. Most individuals are moved to action by strong emotions. When they have a visceral response to a stimulus they are often more willing to take action. Images evoke a stronger response than data or statistics. For example, a photo of a diseased lung may entice a smoker to quit more so than a statistic on yearly deaths from lung cancer.
  • Engage, play, and interact. Physicians can use multimedia tools to interact with their patients and demonstrate the different results of varying lifestyle choices. Providers can have more meaningful conversations during consults if they can display an image rather than having to explain using words alone.

Infographics can be an extremely useful took in the healthcare profession, and can greatly enhance a patient’s experience. Visualizations can be much more powerful than words alone, and can also help a patient truly see what is happening in their bodies.

How often do you use infographics in your practice? How do you think visualizations can be implemented to benefit patients?

If you’re in healthcare, insurance, technology or other professional services industries, and need help with a PR, marketing or social media campaign, contact Scott Public Relations.

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