Seeing is believing when it comes to health risk and behavior change
Personalized imaging to visualize health may be effective in discouraging risky behaviors

Date:
March 3, 2022
Source:
PLOS
Summary:
Using medical imaging technologies that can visualize health
may discourage risk-related behaviors more than non-visual
information. A new meta-analysis finds that when individuals undergo
an imaging procedure and are shown visual personalized information
about their own risk of disease, they may be more likely to reduce
risky behaviors.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
They say a picture can convey a thousand words, and researchers have
found that using medical imaging technologies that can visualize
health may discourage risk-related behaviors more than non-visual
information. The meta-analysis, publishing March 3 in the open access
journal PLOS Medicine, finds that when individuals undergo an imaging
procedure and are shown visual personalized information about their own
risk of disease, they may be more likely to reduce risky behaviors.


========================================================================== Non-communicable diseases are estimated to account for over two-thirds of deaths worldwide each year and are linked to behaviors such as smoking,
poor diet, and lack of physical exercise. Behavior change can reduce risks
and many interventions intend to motivate such change. Researchers are
keen to understand whether the growing use of medical imaging technologies could help.

Gareth Hollands and colleagues at the University of Cambridge,
UK conducted a meta-analysis of 21 randomized controlled trials
involving over 9,000 adult participants. Participants were either shown
visual examples of personalized risk information following an imaging procedure, such as computed tomography, ultrasound, or radiography,
in addition to health information or advice, or they received health information or advice with no visual feedback. The trials reported on
behaviors including smoking, medication use, physical activity, diet,
oral hygiene, sun protection, tanning booth use, blood glucose testing,
skin self-examination, and foot care.

The strongest evidence was for smoking reduction, a healthier diet,
increased physical activity, and increased oral hygiene behaviors. Single studies also reported increased skin self-examination and foot care
following visualized feedback. The other behaviors were improved by
visual interventions, but results were not statistically significant. The authors conclude that the growth of medical imaging technology could be capitalized on to help people change and reduce disease risks.

Hollands adds, "Medical imaging scans are used ever more widely by
healthcare professionals. By gathering together the existing research,
this study suggests that showing the scan results to patients to
highlight the state of their health could motivate them to behave in a healthier way."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by PLOS. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Gareth J. Hollands, Juliet A. Usher-Smith, Rana Hasan, Florence
Alexander, Natasha Clarke, Simon J. Griffin. Visualising
health risks with medical imaging for changing recipients'
health behaviours and risk factors: Systematic review with
meta-analysis. PLOS Medicine, 2022; 19 (3): e1003920 DOI:
10.1371/journal.pmed.1003920 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220303141150.htm

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