Deloitte Adds Diversity To Medical Drawings With ‘Illustrate Change’ Image Bank

Consulting firm Deloitte’s subsidiaries Deloitte Health Equity Institute, together with Deloitte Digital and Johnson & Johnson, recently unveiled its latest project targeted at bringing greater representation in medical illustrations to reduce disparities among people of color.

Dubbed Illustrate Change, the campaign makes 25 medical drawings available for educational and training purposes, allowing for more diverse depictions of common conditions, including dengue fever, lupus, and psoriasis.

The illustrations, created by Chidiebere Ibe, build on the artist’s impactful drawing of a Black fetus-in-womb that sparked a much-needed conversation last year about how medical images required greater diversity.

“The launch of Illustrate Change marks a step forward toward a more representative medical education system. Illustrations are an important visual tool used in both medical and patient education,” remarked Ibe, the chief medical illustrator of Illustrate Change.

“Closing these gaps helps avoid implicit bias within healthcare settings and increases awareness of how conditions present on different skin tones, which could have very critical implications for health outcomes. I hope these images inspire future generations of medical illustrators,” he said.

According to the campaign, less than 5% of medical images currently used depict darker skin tones, while only 8% of medical illustrators identify as people of color. Hence the need for this updated medical library to reflect a “more representative patient population.”

For starters, the first 25 images from the library will portray 23 conditions across a range of healthcare sectors, such as dermatology, maternal health, eye disease, oncology, general health, orthopedics, and hematology.

Along with the illustrations, Johnson & Johnson will partner with the Association of Medical Illustrations (AMI) to offer up-and-coming creators the opportunity to enroll in the AMI Diversity Fellowship.

This program will nurture the training and education of 10 medical artists, aiding them in creating 100 new illustrations featuring patients of color over the next year. Over time, the Fellowship hopes to bring greater visibility to the importance of health equity and equal representation.

“The lack of representation in medical imagery is an issue that directly impacts communities of color and their relationship with the healthcare system. This can lead to feelings of not being seen and continue potential mistrust,” explained Vanessa Broadhurst, Executive Vice-President of Global Corporate Affairs at Johnson & Johnson.

“This Fellowship can not only amplify the voices of underrepresented communities but also contribute to the promotion of health equity and improved patient care,” added Jill Gregory, President of the Association of Medical Illustrators.

Head here to check out the entire Illustrate Change library.

[via LBB Online and Medical Marketing & Media, images via Illustrate Change]