Before and after photographs are a patient’s first call in researching a doctor. Woodrow Wilson at Clinical Imaging is taking the guesswork out of clinical photography.
You may have seen him behind a lens at several of the ASAPS conferences and workshop meetings, and now Wilson is changing the landscape of clinical photography in aesthetic surgery and medicine.
With experience in fashion, editorial and corporate photography, Wilson found himself professionally evaluating the quality of before and after photographs shown at the aesthetic conferences. In the display of clinical photography taken at all angles, in various lightings and with changing qualities, Wilson identified a glaring chasm in the market.
He’s launched a business to supply tailored photographic hardware, software and training systems to aesthetic practices. In short, he’s determined to take the guesswork out of before and after imaging.
“It’s a competitive industry and the patient’s first port of call is judging before and after photographs,’ Wilson says. “A potential patient will not necessarily know about surgical procedures, but they can, and will, judge the end result using before and after photographs.”
“I was watching the various presentations and found it very interesting; I noticed that, no matter how experienced the surgeon is, and regardless of the quality of their work, poor before and after photographs will leave much of the patient’s decision up to guesswork.”
With the seeds of a new business model model in mind, Wilson spent 18 months working with several high profile doctors looking at how their clinical photography could be improved on or assisted.
“I found some common problems were inconsistency, image management and cooperating with the guidelines set up by legislation,” Wilson says. “While doctors might have an eye for aesthetics and composition, they are usually time poor and unaware of the simple tips and tricks that can help increase photographic consistency.”
Enter Clinical Imaging – a business designed to streamline clinical photography, ensure the consistency of before and after images, and store the shots in an easy to use, searchable database.
“Ideally, the doctor should not be taking the before and after photographs, as their time is more valuable,” Wilson says. “At Clinical Imaging, we supply the hardware and optimise the lighting, positioning and camera settings – and then lock them in – so anyone in the clinic – nurse or admin staff – can take a consistent, accurate and ethical before and after photograph.”
“Imagery is a powerful tool for communicating with patients, but no medical software has a search engine that allows you to search through clinical photographs effectively. With this system, a doctor can be in consultation with a patient, open the database and, within seconds, isolate images of ‘all breast augmentation patients who received 400ccs last quarter,’ for example – no software can accomplish that, except mine.”
According to Wilson, a clinical photograph should be consistent, accurate and ethical. He’s certainly thought at length about the importance of before and after photographs, and explains streamlining clinical imaging will not only boost clinic efficiency but also, ultimately, will improve the patient’s experience.
“The journey patients go through is a very personal one, and standing naked in front of a camera is likely to be uncomfortable – a feeling that will be compounded by someone fumbling behind the camera,” Wilson explains. “The average camera has around 60 buttons – Clinical Imaging puts a system in place to demystify the camera and make before and after imaging easier, and more efficient, than
ever before. By the time I leave the clinic, anyone can use my camera, software and storage system.”
Phones and compact cameras aren’t good enough
With a goal to raise industry standards, Wilson explains smart phones and compact cameras are simply not powerful enough for effective clinical photography. What’s needed is a digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR).
“There are a lot of compromises in the technology of smart phones and compact cameras, which means there are compromises in the resulting photographs as well,” Wilson says. “A DSLR camera is necessary to ensure before and after photographs are consistent credible and ethical.”
Are your photographs in RAW format?
Most compact cameras and smart phones shoot images in Jpeg format by default. This can be problematic if the integrity of the photograph is ever called into question.
“It is essential to shoot clinical photographs in RAW format, as you can not prove, in a court of law, that a Jpeg has not been manipulated,” Wilson says. “RAW format contains metadata that can prove the image is an original, and has not been edited in any way.”
Where are you storing your patient photographs?
“Most doctors don’t realise it is illegal, according to Australian privacy regulations, to store patient photographs and information on foreign data services, for example Dropbox,” Wilson explains. “My software helps optimise the execution, storage and management of clinical photography.”
“As with any scientific endeavour, it’s all about reducing the number of variables in taking before and after photographs; the only thing that should change is the patient,” Wilson concludes.
