Assessing the Benefits of Interactive Patient-Specific Visualisations for Patient Information

Abstract

Every surgical intervention results in physical injuries. Therefore, the patient’s consent is required to avoid liability in case of bodily harm. In a lot of countries a stepwise clarification process is common, combining written and verbal clarification, the latter in form of a conversation between patient and surgeon. However, many studies have shown that the quality of patient information is a weak spot in surgical treatment processes. Our approach, exemplary displayed for minimally invasive spine interventions, supports the clarification conversation by displaying intuitive, comprehensible and interactive 2D and 3D visualisations of both, the patient-specific anatomy and pathologies. Furthermore, information about surgical plans in minimally invasive interventions, like radiofrequency or microwave ablation, could be demonstrated by virtually placing applicators within the patient-customized 3D scene. Visualisation and medical application experts evaluated the contribution and usability of this tool.