Flipbooks: Patient and Family Education Tools

“Only children believe they are capable of everything,” said Paulo Coelho de Souza, a Brazilian lyricist and novelist and a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.

Children have the capacity for genuine understanding and empathy, provided they are treated with respect and approached with honesty. They can be educated about health and illness through fun, yet meaningful, resources. Their perception and outlook may change the entire family dynamic and steer it in the right direction.

As 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai aptly stated, “Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.”

We Will Be Flipping More

Witnessing my patient with lupus leave the room with a smile after showing her the flipbook, knowing that her son would now have a better understanding of her illness and would likely become more compassionate and caring toward her, was truly rewarding.

Inspired by the responses of our patients, my son was delighted to receive a digital drawing tablet for Christmas, enhancing his ability to create captivating flipbooks. Our next project centers on Sjögren’s disease, and we aim to develop our concept further to reach our target audience effectively.

Aryan Gopinath is a seventh grader at Rice Middle School in Plano, Texas. He loves Legos, video games and sword fighting. He aspires to be an astrophysicist when he grows up.

Srilatha Kothandaraman, MD, is a clinical assistant professor at Texas A&M University School of Medicine and co-chief of rheumatology at Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas. She has a special interest in innovative medical education and enjoys spending time with her children on creative projects.

References

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2. Van Der Werf HM, Luttik ML, Francké AL, et al. Students growing up with a chronically ill family member; A survey on experienced consequences, background characteristics, and risk factors. BMC Public Health. 2019 Nov 8;19(1):1486.
3. My NEW Flipbook Kit. Andymation. YouTube. 2022 Jul 16. 
4. Golics CJ, Basra MKA, Finlay A, et al. The impact of disease on family members: A critical aspect of medical care. J R Soc Med. 2013 Oct;106(10):399–407.
5. Babaei S, Abolhasani S. Family’s supportive behaviors in the care of the patient admitted to the cardiac care unit: A qualitative study. J Caring Sci. 2020 Jun;9(2):80–86.