Internist Dr. Asif Ali was still a resident when he formed his own company with the goal of producing medical animations to help educate patients and physicians.
Now, almost 2 years later, Dr. Ali is president of M.D. Trainer, a small company that offers off-the-shelf and custom medical animations that explain common diseases and medical procedures such as coronary artery disease, obstructive sleep apnea, hip replacement, and botulinum toxin injection. Physicians can use the interactive program in their offices or in training programs.
Dr. Ali, who practices in Houston with another internist, a cardiologist, and a physician assistant, explained that his medical animations are created by M.D. Trainer's in-house staff. The animations, which include consent forms, can be downloaded from the company's Web site, www.mdtrainer.com
The next frontier for Dr. Ali and his colleagues is to develop a library of procedures for residents. “When we learn procedures, such as central line placement, we have to learn from an upper-level resident. Why not standardize this method, as described in our animations?”
By Bruce K. Dixon, Chicago Bureau.