Using Art to Communicate About Surgery (HLOL #233)

Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast

Maria Baimas-George, MD, MPH, not only is a transplant surgeon but also the author and illustrator of The Strength of My Scars, a series of children’s books about a wide range of medical and surgical conditions. Dr. Baimas-George is passionate about the value of intertwining art and surgery to improve patient understanding, increase satisfaction, and reduce apprehension.

In this podcast, Dr. Baimas-George talks with Helen Osborne about:

• How art and surgery are often intertwined. That includes beauty within the body as well as using art in patient communication.
• Why and how analogies and illustrations together can help increase patients understanding, even of complex topics like pathophysiology.
• What listeners in all settings can do to incorporate visuals in their work.

More ways to learn:

• The Strength of My Scars. A series of books for children that addresses the anatomy, pathophysiology, hospital course, surgical detail, and post-operative care for specific conditions using easy to understand language and colorful visual aids.
• “Novel Way to Improve Satisfaction, Comprehension, and Anxiety in Caregivers: A Randomized Trial Exploring the Use of Comprehensive, Illustrated Children’s Books for Pediatric Surgical Populations,” by Baimas-George, M et al. Published in JACS (Journal of the American College of Surgeons), March 2022.
• “Picture superiority in free recall: Imagery or dual coding?” by Paivio A, Csapo K. Published in Cognitive Psychology, 1973.
• “Remembering what the doctor said: Organization and adults’ memory for medical information,” by McGuire LC. Published in Experimental Aging Research, 1996.
• “Patients’ memory for medical information,” by Kessels RPC. Published in JRSM (Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine),

Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message, Third Edition, by Helen Osborne. Especially relevant to this podcast is the chapter, “X-tras.”

Read a transcript of this podcast.

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