The therapeutic value of medical photography

A survey of parent's attitudes towards viewing intraoperative photographs used as an educational tool

OBJECTIVES

To assess the usefulness of intraoperative photographs taken during paediatric upper airway endoscopy used as an educational tool for parents and to define their attitudes towards seeing these photographs.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Questionnaire based survey of 50 parents at a tertiary referral centre for paediatric otolaryngology in North West England.

RESULTS

The response rate was 82%. All parents wanted to see the intraoperative images and reported improved understanding of their child's condition. No parents reported lasting anxiety. 79.2% of parents seeing photographs for the first time found the images to be informative; 82.4% of parents reported reassurance from being able to see progress in treatment; 17.6% found it easier to accept further intervention from seeing the photographs.

CONCLUSION

Intraoperative photographs are useful as an educational tool for parents; they provide reassurance and help parents accept clinical management.

Medical illustration is a 'clinical' service

The Medical Illustration Service within West Glasgow Hospitals University NHS Trust found itself under threat of being classified as a non-clinical service. This came to light when the Trust asked the Head of Department to provide non-clinical output specifications for use in a Private Finance Initiative for the proposed new Western Infirmary project. However as the author believed that Medical Illustration was a 'Clinical Service', evidence was submitted to the Trust to justify this point of view in the form of a Clinical Functional Specification. This paper presents the arguments for a clinical functional specification for a medical illustration service, using as an example the specification which was prepared for the new Western Infirmary project. The view point of the author is supported by evidence from an extensive literature search.