Journal of Visual Communication in Medicine

It has been some time since I last wrote an editorial, as the last issue saw us take a ‘backward glance at a backward glance¹’. Therefore firstly, I'd like to welcome you to the new full-colour, re-structured journal and trust so far you appreciate the small changes we have made.

There are two matters I would like to broach with this brief piece, firstly is the subject introduced by Bryson in the first Professional Development exercise within this issue², research and its importance to any professional working within healthcare and medicine. It is not only the subject of research that is important but also other continuing professional development practice and how as professionals we should all be pro-active in seeking this out.

Research by its very definition is simply the practice of investigation to discover fact and reach new conclusions, it can be as simple as carrying out a patient satisfaction survey, to a more in-depth analysis such as a multi-centre investigation into the benefits to patient experience and surgical outcome, following the introduction of a new imaging technique. Performing research on whatever scale would constitute a professional development exercise according to HPC guidelines³. Listed below are those activities which come under the Formal/educational heading.

• Courses

• Further education

• Research

• Attending conferences

• Writing articles or papers

• Going to seminars

• Distance learning

• Courses accredited by professional body

• Planning or running a course

If you are a member of IMI then you will be aware of the encouragement and resources they also provide⁴ and if you are not, one would hope that on reading this you will endeavour to find out, as in the UK we edge closer to a CPD record becoming compulsory to practice.

The second matter that has been at the forefront of my mind and can be dexterously linked to the subject of medical research and education is organ and body donation, having visited the exhibition entitled Doctors, Dissection, and Resurrection Men’ at the at the Museum of London, it re-introduced to me (and I imagine many others whom visited the exhibit) the debate centred around how countries should deal with legislation for organ and body donation. The exhibition explored the under-hand methods employed by medical professionals in the 19^th Century to procure cadavers for study to enhance their learning, and ultimately their success in treatment. It also explained how first the Anatomy Act and later the Human Tissue Act changed accepted practice, the finale to the exhibition was a moving video showing varying public views on organ and body donation. This was a very well-timed exhibit, given the consultation currently in process in Wales⁵.

Alongside the debate of consent for organ and body donation runs the debate for the importance of cadaveric dissection in medical education^6,7 the impact on the visual communication professions being that the alternatives to cadaveric dissection are such things as 3-D anatomical packages, virtual prosections , photo and diagrammatical encyclopedias and anatomical models^8–12.

Interestingly there is a link from the Human Tissue Authority Website¹³ which links to a map of the UK showing which medical schools you can donate your body to, it is organised by postcodes and provides the contact information should you wish to make a bequeathal.