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Creating a new form of
communication
for healthcare providers.
Who Are We?
Draw Your Way Through Medicine is an online drawing course in digital medical illustration. It consists of a series of lectures and workshops. After learning basic Procreate skills, students will learn a new way to communicate basic biological processes and procedures. By introducing medical professionals and students to a digital drawing platform, we can provide a new and beneficial communication tool!
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We want to re-explain the foreign language of medicine!
But do not worry, you DO NOT need any prior art knowledge or skill. You do need access to an iPad (or iPhone) and a stylus. Like any program or online platform, with the right instruction and practice, everyone will be able to digitally draw and enhance their visual communication skills!
The Team
Rebecca Kellner
Medical Student @ Icahn School of Medicine
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Founder & Lead Instructor
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Alexandra Agathis
Medical Student @ Icahn School of Medicine
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Lead Clinical Stategist​
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Gary Gravesandy
Medical Student @ Icahn School of Medicine
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Lead Curriculum Developer
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Advisory Board
Dr. Brian Coakley
Pediatric Surgeon, MSH​
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We use drawings to combat low health literacy.
Health literacy and equity in medicine have become major social issues in the medical community. Studies have shown that the correlation between insufficient health literacy and race acts as a huge deterrent for individuals seeking and receiving quality healthcare. Despite available explanations and translations, patients often do not understand the information they are given. It is estimated that over 90 million Americans have inadequate health literacy costing, the healthcare system up to $240 billion annually in inefficiencies.
Whether visiting for a routine checkup or about to undergo a complex surgical procedure, patients are often left perplexed by the overly-technical explanations offered to them. As a result, adults with lower health literacy experience 4 times higher health care costs, 6% more hospital visits, and 2 day-longer hospital stays. Between the overall low health literacy rates and overly complex explanations, clinicians often find themselves unable to properly communicate with their patients. This is especially true in the surgical field when the topic at hand involves complex internal organs.
Dating back to the 1500s, select clinicians have used drawing to effectively communicate. While understanding the value of drawing and illustration, many physicians noted a key limitation - their lack of formal artistic talent. While for some, this results in more primitive drawings, others noted that it completely hinders their ability to communicate through drawings.
Draw Your Way Through Medicine