How does one explain complex CT scans to patients who are probably already distressed by their diagnosis? That’s where the drawMD app steps in. “When new cancer patients come in, I show them their cancer on their own CT scans first,” says Dr. Anthony Corcoran, who works at Winthrop University Hospital, Long Island, New York. “Patients need to see this, but it can be confusing to some. I then use drawMD to highlight the anatomy in a palatable way and how we would treat their cancer surgically. drawMD makes a complex extirpative and reconstructive procedure simple for all patients to understand. This is the real value of drawMD.” It helps the oncologist or any physician, for that matter, to have a tool that helps simplify complex medical terminology and procedures through a few, simple illustrations.

“Cancer patients are nervous and it can be difficult to follow a detailed discussion about anatomy they have never seen,” says Dr. Corcoran. “With drawMD, the discussion is accompanied by illustrations that allow the patient to comprehend exactly what the surgery entails. The drawings are simple to create. So we create them in front of the patient, which saves me time.” Created by doctors for doctors, every drawMD specialty app gets expert input from 18 experienced physicians in the field. Doctors can register on the app, which ensures that all their presentations are stored on the cloud, and can be accessed from any device or even from the web browser. Doctors can either upload images, like an X-ray for instance, or use the illustrative images available on the app. These images are simple, colorful drawings of various parts of the anatomy.

The doctor can further create slideshows or presentations using the inbuilt features like the stamps, which could be used to represent anatomical features, abnormalities, procedures and more. The doctors can take the patients and their families through a step-by-step description of the disease and the various options available for treatment. Multi-slide presentations work with a simple screen swipe, to ensure that the communication stays simple and focused. Another feature of drawMD is the ability to create customized handouts that can be downloaded, emailed or printed out.

The patients can use these PDF documents as a reference point for their understanding and also as a starting point for discussing treatment options with loved ones. Saved presentations are synced to the cloud, making them accessible across devices, which is a boon to busy doctors. “I have found that patients and family members love the application. It definitely helps them make informed choices about surgical treatment options,” says Dr. Corcoran.

“With Drawmd, The Discussion Is Accompanied By Illustrations That Allow The Patient To Comprehend Exactly What The Surgery Entails. The Drawings Are Simple To Create. So We Create Them In Front Of The Patient, Which Saves Me Time.”

Dr Anthony Corcoran
Winthrop University Hospital, New York

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