Using Scrapbooks in Doctors’ Offices

There are so many specialty doctors that could benefit from using scrapbooks. I remember when my mom had surgery on her doctors office neck. She wanted to know where the incision would be made, what the scar would like and wanted to understand the actual procedure. How nice it would have been if the doctor had used a scrapbook of real photos to show her what she could expect.

I remember when my dad had surgery; it was a long complicated family doctor procedure. The doctor did try to explain, however a scrapbook of the step by step procedure would’ve been incredibly helpful. His recovery was estimated to be about six months. Again, photos showing the progress he should see over that six month period would have been wonderful.

Plastic surgeons often have photos that show the procedures they perform. They can usually show patients before and after photos of other patients who have had the same procedures. Orthodontists and oral surgeons have long been showing photos of real people to help show their current patient exactly what one can expect from the corrective procedures.

When we were visiting a dermatologist, we saw a lot of photos, photos of real people that had been put together in a photo album. What were lacking were the words. The difference between a photo album and a scrapbook are the words, the journaling; the actual story. Having a few sentences of what medication or what procedure led to the after pictures would have been wonderful.

I can see a benefit to cardiologists having a scrapbook that shows the many procedures they perform and helping patients understand exactly what they can expect. I can see podiatrists using a scrapbook to show before and after photos to those facing foot surgery.

The unknown is what causes many patients to experience fear. They just don’t know exactly what to expect. Many procedures today are performed as outpatient, as they are common “simple” procedures, but as a patient there is still the element of the unknown.