Josh Appel/Unsplash
Simple posters can give off different meanings to different people. To some, it might be something that can influence them to make a big decision or help them change their lifestyle.
The healthcare industry deals with many and different kinds of people day and night. They are responsible for an individual’s overall well-being. And they have to deal with a lot of data — patient records, laboratory results, medicine prescription, personnel records, and many more. These files are just some of the thousands of data and information that healthcare institutions keep.
Hospitals are also responsible for spreading awareness to people. Reminding new mothers that breastfeeding is better than formulated milk, educating people that HIV can be prevented, or informing the population that the use of illegal or regulated drugs is bad for everyone.
There are now many ways on how to reach out, and making infographics is one of them. Infographic maker websites like Venngage also offer help to people by sharing a wide variety of templates to choose from or guide individuals on how to create infographics.
Now, we are here to help you understand more about infographics and how it helps the healthcare industry.
What are infographics?
An infographic is a form of visual art that transforms data and knowledge into an artsy and easy-to-digest visual context. This kind of presentation lets people express massive amounts of information in a manner that is organized and pleasing to the eyes. It’s no wonder that this is often used in almost all industries, including healthcare.
Infographics can have many purposes in the healthcare industry and one effective infographic can influence people and change lives.
Uses of Infographics
To know more about infographics, here are some of its uses.
Meetings
Luis Melendez/Unsplash
Hospitals conduct a lot of meetings, and what we mean by a lot is the monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual assembly of administrators, doctors, heads, and staff. This is to ensure that important matters are discussed, everyone in the hospital is updated on any new regulations, or conducting obligatory training and/or seminars.
With the help of technology, hospitals have unlimited access to platforms and tools to make meetings uncomplicated. They use slide presentations, videos, and/or graphs to easily share gathered data.
Reports
Reports aren’t just discussed in meetings, they are also submitted to be checked by the hospital’s quality assurance officer. This is to maintain a smooth workflow within the hospital network. Also, an outside party like hospital inspectors conduct inspections to make sure that all hospital machines, medicines, and facilities are well functioning.
Incorporating infographics in your data report lets you provide all the information they need in a well-organized manner.
Spreading awareness
National Cancer Institute/Unsplash
As a healthcare institute, hospitals should be the ones to spread awareness to people. Infographics play a huge role with this one; they can be displayed on televisions and mobile phones or can be printed out as flyers and/or posters.
Some examples of how infographics help spread awareness:
- Short animation about how to properly wash hands
- Posters that are used to instruct patients
- Flyers about HIV awareness
Tips and Tricks
Now we know the importance of infographics in healthcare, let’s talk about the tips and tricks on how to use them effectively.
1. Get people’s attention.
What’s the best way to get someone’s attention? Lure their eyes. Draw your reader’s attention using catchy headlines and a good color combination. In healthcare, if you want to spread awareness, you can use questions as your heading. This makes them want to know the answers. People are curious by nature; use the power of mystery to engage them.
2. Limit the use of medical terms.
Not all people can understand medical terminologies. If you can, convert medical terms into something generic so that everyone who reads your infographics can fully understand what you are trying to say. You can also put a brief definition or translation below the word to guide them.
3. Get your facts straight.
Not all information is accurate and helpful. Good and effective infographics present facts and real data. Read and analyze all the information you’ve gathered to know which ones are to be omitted. Presenting misleading information can jeopardize the hospital’s integrity and may cost penalties.
4. Capture people’s hearts.
If you want to change people’s lives with the use of infographics, it takes more than just capturing their attention. Spreading awareness means trying to impart something good for their well-being. Try incorporating emotions through the use of words. Leave them a question or a heart-felt message.
Make them engage their emotions in your output; reach out to them and make them feel that they are not alone. Make them feel your presence through infographics.
Help is offered to make things easier for someone. It shows kindness and gives hope. We see many people reach out a hand to others every day. With today’s technology, we can now help more and more individuals. We can offer help through online services like teaching or doing some of their tasks.
Infographics can influence people in different aspects of their lives. That’s why we use it because we know it works. Many industries use this as a tool to educate, advertise, and share. If we can use infographics to reach out to people and influence them to live better lives, then let’s use them right.