The power of data visualisation and scientific storytelling
A new world of possibilities.
Every day, Australians generate huge amounts of healthcare data. From smart phones with built-in fitness trackers to electronic prescriptions that keep track of our medications.
It’s something we see across all areas of medicine. We can now map the genome of a single cell – or chart the spread of a disease across the globe. However, one thing is certain: we are far better at capturing complex data than we are at understanding it.
The positive benefits of understanding big data are far reaching – empowering doctors to make better decisions, helping people live healthier lives. The benefits of big data also flow through the entire healthcare ecosystem: reducing costs, optimising outcomes and improving operational efficiencies.
Yet to understand big data, we need to distil it into something that can be understood by the broad range of decision makers, the ones with the power to change our health system for the better.
Not all these decision makers have the time or the training to understand complex clinical information. How do you get a time-poor politician to read and appreciate a 200-page report?
The solution lies in how our brains work.
Our brains are hardwired for visual data. Within hours of birth, a baby's gaze is drawn to faces, and for the rest of our lives we respond to and process visual information better than any other type. In fact, we process visual information 60,000 times faster than text.
Ward6 has been working with several clients to transform complex information into visually compelling scientific narratives. The end result has been intuitive data visualisation tools that are widely accessible to a broad range of healthcare audiences.
Our toolbox is vast and constantly evolving. Recent advancements in a range of technology such as 3D content and animation, camera technology, real-time video game engines, and virtual, augmented, and mixed realities mean we can design and build powerfully engaging experiences.
We can combine streams of data from different sources: demographic, disease prevalence, health economics, administrative and integrated data to build a unique data model comprised of millions of data points.
Innovation that relies on having a clear and compelling vision.
And that is something we achieve through collaboration. Not only having a close working relationship with clients but also drawing on our diverse range of expertise: digital innovation, data analysis, medical knowledge, creative, strategy and project management.
Collaboration means the final result is elegant, fit for purpose, medically accurate and strategically on point. And it is an approach that we at Ward6 feel can unlock significant insights across a broad range of health conditions.