“Stories … are powerful tools that can help us make sense of our lives,” says physician-scientist Maya Adam. She now combines visual storytelling and health education to create animations that go beyond the barriers of language and culture to convey important health messages. The subject matter ranges from vaccine acceptance and addiction to mental health and nutrition. These emotionally engaging narratives – often without a single spoken word – are more effective than traditional pamphlets and lectures, Adam says. Visual stories have the potential to achieve “near-universal understanding” that can support better health outcomes, she tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.
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Chapters:
(00:00:00) Introduction
Russ Altman introduces guest Maya Adam, a professor of pediatrics and infectious disease from Stanford University.
(00:03:43) From Ballet to Medicine
How Adam’s background shaped her approach to health education.
(00:05:02) Why Stories Work
Why lived experience makes evidence-based health recommendations more meaningful.
(00:06:17) The Story Creation Process
Adam’s techniques for creating effective scalable health stories on any topic
(00:09:20) Real World Stories
Adam shares some particularly challenging topics the team has created stories for
(00:11:10) Global Accessibility
Designing stories and characters that can resonate across cultures and contexts.
(00:12:38) Measuring Impact
Using technology to run trials to test and measure impact
(00:15:23) Iterating the Message
Adapting and changing approaches to create the most effective message
(00:17:53) AI and Storytelling
How AI is beginning to affect health communication and creative production.
(00:19:45) Testing Human vs. AI Art
A trial comparing responses to human-created and AI-generated health storytelling.
(00:25:42) Human-in-the-Loop AI
How AI may best support artists and clinicians by reducing burden rather than replacing
(00:27:43) Future In a Minute
Rapid-fire Q&A: stories, collaboration, media, and the future of health communication.
(00:29:44) Conclusion
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