Yes, we could say that the 14th-century drawings on human anatomy made by Leonardo Da Vinci were remarkable for the time he was living in.
But, if you compare that work to today’s 3D animations, especially in medical, it’s no way close to the exquisite level of detail we can have with medical video production.
According to Forrester Research, a minute of video content can replace 1.8 million words of content.
That’s the power of video content. And, when you produce videos in 3D, the viewer’s brain can process the information 60000 times quickly.
Fascinating, isn’t it?
That’s what this blog is all about. We’ll discover the benefits of using medical animation in clinical research.
Or simply put, how has the 3D animation technology helped us in clinical research?
Before we dive into our core discussion, here’s a stat to add to your knowledge.
It should not come as a surprise, but we tend to remember only 10% of what we hear. For the majority (80%) of what we can recall, is all that we have actually seen. That’s how effective visuals are.
And, you may love reading text, but know that more than 65% of all learners are visual learners. They find it easier to process images. So, visual aid becomes critical.
And, because our brains are naturally wired to find visuals more alluring, it becomes all the more important reason to add visuals to our messages.
In respect of clinical research, this information is vital. Medical videos that are powered by 3d animations can have 19% better comprehension than standard video training material on surgical procedures.
Let us look at some types of medical animations that have been widely adopted in the medical industry.
Medical simulations
The availability of cadavers has always been a problem.
Most of the corpses are often donated. And, with religion and faith being key deciding factors (with what happens to the body of the deceased), having enough corpses for medical simulations, has always been a challenge.
Teachers often find it hard to provide a separate cadaver to each medical student. To overcome the problem, medical animation technology might come in handy.
Imagine you can have 3D animation that gives you cool insight into the human anatomy. You don’t need to stand in front of a corpse to study anatomy. Simulation becomes ridiculously easy.
First, the availability of corpses won’t be an issue. Secondly, students will be able to experiment with ease and contribute significantly to clinical research.
Third, a 3D demonstration would also provide a bird’s eye view of the human anatomy. One that’s not limited. Unlike the corpse, students and doctors would be able to see the processes in great detail.
And, the choice of having these simulations as interactive or not, is with medical professionals.
Planning of surgical procedures
Another prime benefit of 3D medical animation is planning surgeries. It can enhance surgical procedures like never before. Imagine students having a 3D demonstration of how the surgery is performed.
Now, not just they’ve more detail on the subject, but with the process so well explained using interactive tools and techniques, they can comprehend the matter in a better way.
And, it’s not just capable of helping students who have opted for surgical specialization. But, more importantly, it would help professional surgeons plan their procedures beforehand.
They can leverage interactive animation tools using VR and Augmented reality.
Forensics research
This one benefit is probably the most fascinating one. There have been instances where medical animations have been used by the forensics team to reconstruct events in court and explain scenarios.
It is a remarkable development particularly for cases, where there is not enough forensic evidence. 3D animation tech would help in producing what we call ‘virtutopsy’ with the aid of MRI technology.
This would help forensics research teams significantly, especially in cases where the remains of a victim are too damaged for a standard autopsy procedure.
Hence, medical animation may contribute significantly to improving forensic research and perhaps, collecting evidence on unsolvable crimes.
Patient Education
Patient education is a vital aspect of healthcare development. And, with the growing number of 3d animation companies, patient education is only getting better.
Educating the patient can mean the difference between accidental wrong surgical procedures and successful operations.
3D animations are proving to be really helpful in gaining the confidence of patients and prospects in advanced healthcare procedures.
It won’t be wrong to say that a vivid demonstration of the entire procedure can help to minimize the fear of participants. It fosters active and effective communication.
3d animations are helping patients understand pharmaceutical processes, anatomy, and even surgical procedures.
While there is a need for complex animations to educate surgeons, and foster communication internally, this one can be really helpful.
3D animations are being used to make people understand their procedures of surgery and medication in the simplest possible way. Moreover, you could even find such demonstrations in doctor’s offices as well as on hospital websites.
Even dentists are using 3d animations to educate the patient on dental health. And, are able to gain more traction on social media with the use of animated demonstrations of the process.
Interestingly, 3d animations are already being used in hospitals to gain informed consent from patients.
Pharmaceutical research
Doctors and pharmaceutical companies may also use 3d animation for pharmaceutical research. To ease the job of presenters, these are being used for product demonstration of drugs.
Medical animation can also illustrate how a certain drug may work on the body.
It is important to know that these animations may not depict the process in detail. Purpose of such presentations may be to market the product to investors.
Or present to doctor. It may also serve the purpose of patient education.
Medical animation is only one way that technology is improving the field of clinical research. Check out the infographic below to see the steps in the drug discovery process and other ways it is being improved with technology.
Infographic provided by OmniAb, an antibody discovery platform research organization
Cellular research
Medical animation can serve another remarkable use. Cellular processes can only be observed using a microscope. And to study cell interaction, particularly that of pathogens and white blood cells, one must have microscopes.
Though a microscope may be useful to give a decent view, it still might not be enough.
That’s where cellular animations have been useful. With 3D technology, doctors and researchers are able to visualize cellular interactions from a 3d perspective.
Not only is the experience far better than static or traditional imagery, but it is more dynamic and interactive. Researchers can draw useful insights from cellular animations and contribute to their research work.
CPR training
Interestingly with a 3d perspective at their disposal, students as well as teachers find learning more interactive and effective.
Not only do complex situations are summed up clearly and easily, but more importantly, students can also learn a great deal about how to act or manage emergencies.
3D perspective can help students to learn CPR training with much more ease and effectiveness.
In fact, medical animations made for such purposes can be used to target and teach a wider audience and raise more awareness with regard to CPR training.
Interactive teaching
Last, but not least, though this one does not directly apply to clinical research, it is of enormous value to the healthcare industry. Imagine being guided by a 3d perspective on processes to treat a patient or manage emergency situations.
Now, you may need years of practice and education to be competent enough to manage such situations.
However, with medical animations at your disposal, you can have more interactive learning. And, perhaps drive quality learning outcomes for yourself and your peers.
And, all the more important is that medical animations not just foster interactive learning, but they can be really helpful for regions where there are not many doctors.
Advancement in such learning may aid people where there is an impoverished healthcare system.
Final thoughts
Let’s wrap it up. Medical animations are remarkable. With a 3d perspective at our disposal, we’re not just able to have more interactive learning, but can significantly improve our clinical research.
Above we highlighted some areas where medical animation can aid in clinical research. Students can have medical simulations to learn standard processes.
Besides, animation for pharmaceutics can aid presenters to help investors comprehend the product better. Lastly, medical animation may be of real value for forensics research, cellular research, and much more.
