INDIANAPOLIS -- Laura Kelley had it all: a loving husband, a new son and a great career.

She also had a cholesterol level that shot through the roof. Despite shedding a few pounds, the number didn't budge.

So, Kelley decided to undergo bariatric surgery.

"I wanted to set a better example for my son and make myself feel better, too. I was sore all the time. I was tired all the time and just knew I wasn't going down a good path," Kelley said.

The Pendleton woman had been prepared to read through stacks of complicated documents before signing a consent form. But instead, she reached for her computer.

At the click of the mouse, Kelley found Medical Animatics, a first-of-its-kind interactive tool combining education and informed consent for weight-loss patients.

The technology combines cutting-edge medical animation, video, audio narration and interactive programming. Since November, Community Health Network has used it in a research project to help more than 40 patients through gastric bypass.

"We believe that sophisticated technology is a key component to education, healthier lifestyles and ultimately patient outcomes," said Harlon J. Wilson, president and chief executive officer of Medical Animatics LLC.

Wilson's Web-based program takes patients on a step-by-step process to learn about gastric bypass surgery, its benefits and its risks.

"Along the way, it quizzes you to make sure that you understand," Kelley told 6News Staying Healthy reporter Stacia Matthews. "By you completing that section of training and checking the boxes, that's the part of your consent form. At the end, all you do is sign."

Dr. Jack Ditslear, the medical director of Community Hospital North's bariatrics program, said the results so far are promising.

Ditslear said he believes the better a patient is informed, the better the outcome. Patients can review the program as many times as they want and even share it with family and friends.

"Just being able to log onto the computer, go back and look at that info at anytime, also the family members can come and look at the information, they have a better understanding and can support the patient as well, he said.

"It spells it out and tells you, 'You need to do A, B, and C in order to succeed,'" Kelley said.

Since her surgery in fall 2005, Kelley has dropped 145 pounds.

The study has caught the attention of Ball State University researchers, who are conducting their own study to determine if patients learn more by participating in Medical Animatics.

For more infromation, call Community Health Network at 866-621-7771.