Health
Services and Medical Graphics
The
following are tools, solutions, tips, tricks,
secrets, and best practices for health service
professionals. Be sure to share this page with
your colleagues so they can benefit from them
as well.
Health
Services Web Resources
The
Influence of Graphics in Health Services
People think using pictures. Before we can talk,
we learn through seeing and responding to our
surroundings. Dr. Lynell Burmark, Ph.D. Associate
at the Thornburg Center for Professional Development
and author of several books and papers on visual
literacy, asserted that ideas and concepts not
associated with an image are harder to process
by our long-term memory. In short, words are processed
by short-term memory, and images are immediately
tucked away in our long-term memory. If this assertion
is correct (and many other researchers have proven
so), then using visuals in health services for
marketing materials, presentations to explain
new drugs and procedures, and other communications
will help your audience better retain information
that can be complex, especially if they are not
in the health profession. Consider the following:
- 83% of what we learn is through
our eyes according to a study by the United
States Armed Forces
- According to Dale Carnegies
Training, graphics allow the audience to follow
at their own speed because visuals accommodate
all learning styles.
- 200% improved learning when
visuals were used (University of Wisconsin study)
- Took 40% less time to explain
complex ideas with graphics (Wharton School
study)
- Graphics helped to improve retention
by 38% (Harvard University study)
This does not mean that graphic
communication is better than text. However, the
combination of graphics and words has a communicative
power that neither singularly possesses. J.R.
Levin said it best in A Transfer of Appropriate
Process Perspective of Pictures in Prose: 'Pictures
interact with text to produce levels of comprehension
and memory that can exceed what is produced by
text alone."
Creating
Health Services Graphics
When creating graphics, ask yourself the following:
- What is the most important idea
or concept this graphic should relate?
- Who is your audience? Would
they understand medial terms or prefer an overview?
- How do you want to say it? What
form of chart (area chart, illustration, timeline,
etc.) will best reach your audience and help
them to understand the idea/concept?
Seven
Rules for Creating Health Services Graphics
- All graphics should play a specific
role and have a reason for being chosen and
incorporated.
- Stay consistent.
- Show or say it correctly. Don't
try to be original.
- Keep it clean and simple. Too
much visual clutter can be overwhelming and
lose the primary objective of your message.
- Label elements directly to avoid
confusion. This rule is especially true if you
are introducing new image and ideas.
- Use recognizable imagery. Seeing
a familiar face evokes trustworthiness in your
audience. This is one reason celebrities are
used in advertisements.
- Focus on your audience. Show
your audience in your graphics. Allow your audience
to see themselves learning, applying, and benefiting
from your services or product.
Using
a Template and Database of Graphics
Consistency throughout your communication materials
is the main reason to create a template for your
medial presentations and maintain a database of
graphics. You don't want your audience wondering
why certain slides in a presentation are colored
differently (if there's no reason) or why different
illustrations are used to explain the same concept.
These differences will distract from your message.
To maintain a database of health
services graphics, consider the following:
- On your server create a folder
specifically for graphics (primarily photographs,
illustrations, charts, and logos).
- Create subfolders for each graphic
type (i.e., Photos of the Hospital, Photos of
People Being Treated, Illustrations of the Circulatory
System, Charts of Hospital Funding, Logos).
- Inform everyone in your organization
of the availability of these images.
- Create a standards guide to
inform your associates when, where, and how
they can use these graphics. Include the following:
- Photo or illustration size limitations
- Colors
- Fonts
- Type of communications in which to use
the graphics
- Logo guides for size, colors, and style
To create a template for presentations
in PowerPoint, use the following as a guide. Open
a blank document and populate it with this information:
- Title slide template
- Background templates (be sure
to include all versions for different sections
or larger titles)
- Colors
- Primary color
- Secondary color
- Tertiary color
- Color palette of boxes tinted
with your chosen colors
- Font and text styles
- Font style
- Font size (For graphics, use
at least 12 pt. for best visibility when projected
on a screen)
- Font color
- Bullet styles
- Labeling styles
- Box styles (different boxes
for org charts, flow charts, benefits boxes,
etc.)
- Arrow styles
- Line style (width and color)
- Logos for your company/hospital/medical
practice and any association members
- Samples of graphic icons/photos
used in other graphics (e.g., blue cylinder
equals main database)
- Samples of graphic styles (area
charts, bar charts, etc. used within presentation)
Health
Services Graphic Solutions
You need your presentations,
documentation, training and tutorials to be clear
and, at times, compelling. Unfortunately, you
have very little time, money, and resources. You
have complex information to share and you need
to make the best impression. You know you need
high-quality graphics. But what do you do? Great
news, you have a choice:
1.
Do-it-yourself graphics guide
2.
Ready-to-go graphics on DVD
3.
PowerPoint templates
4.
Graphic how-to training
5.
Fast Class seminars (1 hour quick classes)
6. Graphic library (graphics
to inspire your creativity)
Professionals like you use Billion
Dollar Graphics solutions to conceptualize clear,
communicative, compelling visuals that, according
to independent research, increase their success
by 43%.
Don’t waste anymore of your
energy, money, and time making support materials
that don't work. Help your audience better absorb
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ideas. When applicable, influence and motivate
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Health service professionals use
the easy-to-learn processes to turn their ideas
and words into clear, communicative, compelling:
- Presentation graphics
- DVD-ROM tutorials
- CME graphics
- How-to graphics
- Brochure graphics
- Explanatory graphics (information
graphics)
- Medical diagrams
- Any visual solution
needed
 You
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 Kick
start or add to your existing graphics library.
The Billion Dollar Graphics Master Collection
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All graphics are professionally
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(Learn
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 Our
graphics training/workshops will show you how
to use visual communication to achieve your goals.
The training is applicable to anyone who needs
to communicate information to educate, motivate,
or influence. Visual communication training will
help you and your company succeed. (Learn
more about the Training and Workshops.)
Custom
Solutions for Professionals in the Health Industry
Your challenges are unique.
Perhaps your goal is to increase the quality of
your visuals or analyze your existing process
and develop a better system for generating clear,
communicative, compelling graphics. Allow Billion
Dollar Graphics to be of service. We are available
for consultation. (Learn
more about custom solutions.)
Design Services
with 24 Hour Company
Billion Dollar Graphics and 24 Hour Company work
together to provide:
- Graphic design (conceptualization
and rendering)
- Desktop publishing and layout
- Editing
(Learn
more about 24 Hour Company.)
 Click
on the solutions below to purchase...
Billion Dollar Business Graphics Book +
Free Virtual CD ($49.95)
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Information
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Get More. Save BIG!
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BDG Master Collection ($549)
FREE Book + 111 ready-to-use,
editable business graphics + 41 bonus graphics
+ FREE tools and resources on DVD.
Only $4.95 per graphic.
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Click
here to download a fax order form, if you have
a PO# or prefer not to order online.
Other
services are also available:
Conceptualization Training and Workshops
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Graphic Conceptualization
Online Training
(coming soon) |
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Custom Solutions for
Health Services Professionals |
Design Services
(through 24 Hour Company) |
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Fast Class Seminars |
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