Radiology picture book teaches children the value of imaging, risks of radiation
Healthcare education company Viewbox Holdings, LLC, this week announced its release of the second edition of "Learning About X-rays with Lula and Ethan," a picture book written for kids aged 7 and up that aims to educate the younger demographic about the value of CT imaging and potential harms of radiation.
The book is based on one child’s minor playground injury, according to a release, and the subsequent CT exam that’s ordered to diagnose his condition. Co-authors Luther Adair II and Seth Crapp, MD, said they hope to spark a dialogue about healthcare between children and their parents.
In an overview of "Learning About X-rays with Lula and Ethan," they said their book was based on some of the most common questions they, as radiologists, receive when a child enters the ER.
“Sometimes the emergency room can be a confusing place for children,” Adair and Crapp wrote. “Our hope was that this book would make a visit to the emergency room a little less scary.”
In the book, Adair discloses the concept for the story was drawn from his nephew’s visit to the ER, where both the patient and parents had a lot of questions for him.
“I realized that for many parents and children, having an x-ray performed can be a stressful experience,” he wrote. “My hope was to share some helpful information about radiology with other children who may have the same experience.”
The second installment of the series is available as a 28-page hardcover sold for $20 online or as a free download on the iTunes store. According to the release, Viewbox created the Apple-compatible e-book to make the information more accessible to audiences.
After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.