Interactive media plays such a large role in our everyday lives. We use websites to increase our knowledge and to shop for products, we communicate with friends and family through social media and we play video games to pass the time. These are all common uses of interactive media that just about everyone has some experience with. All of these examples are worthwhile uses of the technology, but recently interactive media has become a valuable tool in the fields of health and medicine.
The reason that interactive media is useful for things like medical training and health awareness is similar to the reasons that it can be so effective as a marketing tool. It does more than just convey information, it also provides an experience to the user. The experience gives the information more impact and in doing so, it makes for content that the consumer is more likely to remember. Just as this can be very effective for selling a product, it can also be useful for educating and raising awareness.
The FDA and interactive media
The Food and Drug Administration of the United States uses interactive media to disburse information about health and medicine. They have resource pages for consumers, health professionals and for businesses that are in the industry. This includes videos and articles that are designed to raise awareness about commercial drugs, foods, vitamins and the different practices of the FDA. This can be a very useful resource for consumers that are looking to learn about the drugs that they get at the drugstore or products that may have been recalled by the FDA. It has resources to help train and educate professionals about the different programs the FDA is running and about the laws and standards that must be followed in different sectors of the industry.
The IDF uses interactive media
The Israeli Defense Forces have recently started using interactive media to train medics and it has already shown to improve upon the educational process. This is very effective for the training of medical personnel because it provides more than just a stream of information, but an actual experience where they can apply what they have learned. One component of the interactive media learning is the use of videos. The videos contain information about a variety of medical topics and many of them end with a quiz. Another innovative use of interactive media that the IDF has employed is a videogame where they simulate situations that a medic may encounter on the battlefield. The game requires the player to analyze injuries and select the correct procedures using the knowledge that they have gained through other parts of their training.
The use of this technology to teach consumers, students and health professionals is a relatively new development in the field of interactive media. With the success of programs such as these, it is likely that this application for the technology will only grow. Companies that specialize in interactive media will continue to develop new ways to expand the uses of the technology and it will have an ever-increasing presence in the areas of health and medicine.
Image Credits:
http://allfacebook.com/files/2012/04/HEALTH.jpg
http://www.curemelanoma.org/assets/FDASIgn.jpg
http://rlv.zcache.com/idf_israel_defense_forces_speaker-r1a27fb962ea94e61963ea0456593f664_vs8xj_8byvr_398.jpg
http://www.funforever.net/wp-content/InteractiveMediaWall_2_01.jpg
