Pharmacy infographic article

PEX 7310 LPE IInfographic Assignment
Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to construct an infographic about reflection and reflective practice
that effectively and clearly relays information to other student pharmacists.
Instructions for assignment: Review infographic assignment overview and instructions. Discuss submission
deadline expectations with P3 mentor. Create and submit final infographic to P3 mentor and upload to
Blackboard by 2/12/24 at 5 PM (or earlier if requested by P3 mentor).
Infographic requirements:
• Content must pertain to reflection and reflective practice. Consider content discussed in class, including
definitions, types of reflection, reflective practice models, and benefits of reflection.
• Infographic format:
o Full page, one-sided (this is a minimum)
• References: At least one reference and proper format (AMA style) for referencing should be used.
Be creative in your presentation and consider who your audience is – your fellow student pharmacists!
This assignment is worth 200 points and is due to both your P3 mentor and Blackboard no later than 2/12/24
by 5:00pm. Please see rubric posted on Blackboard for scoring assessment. Assignments will not be accepted
after the deadline. Please confirm in Blackboard your assignment was successfully uploaded.
What is an infographic?
•
•
Information graphics or infographics are graphic visual representations of information,
Visual
data, or knowledge. Basically, they are a collection of pictures and numbers that
present complex information quickly and effectively. They are an excellent way to
Knowledg
Content
e
communicate effectively with patients.
The purpose of an infographic is to verbally and visually represent data to help
others to clearly understand the information you would like to present. Infographics aim to allow the
reader to draw conclusions.
Targeted Audience: Your audience for your infographic is fellow student pharmacists
Process:
• Explore online to see the various infographics. Become familiar with what infographics are and what they
look like.
o A good basic overview of the history and use of information graphics is available on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/information_graphics
o Check out examples of what are considered to be “good” and “bad” infographics.
▪ http://jeannelking.com/bad-infographic-good-infographic-part-one/
▪ https://venngage.com/blog/infographic-design/
• Become a topic expert on your assigned question. Search the literature and develop an evidence-based
medicine answer. Using the literature and reputable websites, gather information to include data,
statistics, and pertinent facts.
1
•
Plan the “Story” your infographic will tell. Draw a rough sketch of the infographic. The infographic must
have a beginning, middle, and end. Consider developing a concept map, flow diagram, or wireframe
(shown below) to depict your infographic plan.
•
Think Visual:
o Identify ways to convert text to images. Try to convert as much of your data and text into visual
imagery by using charts, graphs, diagrams, maps, flowcharts, and other elements.
o Determine the desired look you are trying to achieve for your infographic. The visual approach you
want helps you determine the color scheme, font types, and structure. Keep things simple with
only 2-3 fonts, sizes, and colors.
Create your infographic using your preferred program, suggestions below:
o PowerPoint – set slide size to 8.5in by 11in, may be easier to move items around page
o Microsoft Word
o Canva.com
Go back and reconsider the Knowledge you are trying to convey. Be sure that your analysis and insight into
the data are represented to tell the story so the intended message(s) are communicated.
Proofread and Refine. Please review your work before it is submitted. Double check the accuracy of your
data and information as well as make sure there are no grammatical or typographical errors. Be sure to
cite all sources in AMA format.
•
•
•
Ensure your infographic looks uniform, here are some helpful webpages for tips to make an infographic:
o https://piktochart.com/blog/infographic-design-tips-presentations/
o https://venngage.com/blog/good-infographic/
o https://rational360.com/5-tips-for-creating-an-effective-infographic/
2
Received: 15 July 2020
Revised: 24 October 2020
Accepted: 13 November 2020
DOI: 10.1002/jac5.1386
CLINICAL PHARMACY FORUM
Maximizing the visual translation of medical information: A
narrative review of the role of infographics in clinical pharmacy
practice, education, and research
Brooke Barlow Pharm.D.1
| Andrew Webb Pharm.D.2
| Ashley Barlow Pharm.D.3
1
Department of Pharmacy Services, University
of Kentucky Healthcare, Lexington, Kentucky
Abstract
2
Introduction: Infographics, an abbreviated term for informational graphics, are visual
Department of Pharmacy Services, Oregon
Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
3
Department of Pharmacy Services, MD
Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
representations of complex ideas or concepts. They have long played a role in the
dissemination of ideas from various fields, such as business and arts. However,
infographics have had an increasing role in the health care field and medical educa-
Correspondence
Brooke Barlow, University of Kentucky
HealthCare, 800 Rose Street, Room H112,
Lexington, KY 40536.
Email: blba249@uky.edu
tion, both for professionals and patients. To date, there is limited evidence on the use
of infographics in the pharmacy profession. Conversely, the evidence is emerging for
their use in other health care fields as an innovative strategy for education, dissemination of research, and public information.
Objectives: In this narrative review, we aim to summarize the basic principles of
infographic design, the role of infographics in education and research dissemination,
and the role of amplifying audience reach through sharing infographics on social media.
Methods: Medline and Google Scholar databases were searched for articles between
1969 and 2020 relating to infographics, healthcare, research and education then
screened by all authors for their relevance to pharmacy practice.
Results: This narrative review discussed the supportive literature for the role of
infographics in patient education, higher-level education, and research dissemination
with a closing discussion on the intersection between social media, infographis and
education.
Conclusion: There is evolving evidence to support the use of infographics in patient
education, research dissemination and higher-level education. More research is
needed to identify the role and impact of infographics in pharmacy education and
clinical practice settings.
KEYWORDS
education, pharmacy, research, social media
Visual communication is a term used to describe the transmission of
understanding of scientific ideas date back to the medieval era with
information and ideas using symbols and imagery. This nonverbal form
depictions of how to measure a moving object.1 Moving into the 19th
of communication is one of the oldest, dating back over 40 000 years.
century, the famous quote “One picture is worth a thousand words”
Pictograms are images that represent physical objects and originated
was coined in a newspaper advertisement of the San Antonio Light
in the fourth millennium BC as a way to share ideas and ask questions
newspaper.1 This quote conveys the foundation of visual communica-
1,2
among people of foreign languages.
J Am Coll Clin Pharm. 2021;4:257–266.
Graphs used to aid in the
tion: multiple complex ideas can be effectively conveyed by a single
wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jac5
© 2021 Pharmacotherapy Publications, Inc.
257
258
BARLOW ET AL.
image compared with the number of words needed for a textual
The aim of this narrative review is to provide the reader with
description. The use of visual communication is commonplace in edu-
foundational principles and practical tips on designing and disseminat-
cation, as both educators and learners make use of diagrams, photo-
ing infographics. Furthermore, this review will summarize the available
graphs, illustrations, flow charts, and graphs models to illustrate, learn,
evidence for use of infographics for patient education, professional
and explain concepts.3
education and research dissemination, and the impact of infographic
Visual aids are a compelling means of communication because
distribution on social media platforms.
human memory is adept at processing visual information. Research
demonstrates that humans can remember up to 6.5 times more information when it is presented visually compared with text alone.4 Fur-
1
|
METHODS
thermore, one of the core principles of multimedia learning suggests
that to be effective, visual designs must be concise and devoid of
Medline and Google Scholar databases were searched to identify arti-
extraneous material that otherwise would interfere with the readers’
cles published between 1969 and 2020 relating to infographics, health
ability to understand the core message being delivered.5 These con-
care, research, and education. Results were limited to articles publi-
cepts provide a basis for the integration of innovative teaching tools
shed about the role of infographics in the field of health care at large
such as infographics into traditional education as an emerging commu-
rather than specific health care specialties. Articles were screened by
nication strategy to improve information dissemination, comprehen-
all authors for their relevance to the role of infographics in education,
sion, and retention.1,3,4
pharmacy practice, and research.
An infographic is an abbreviated term for an informational
graphic. Infographics blend informative data and design to visually
communicate key messages in a clear, concise, and comprehen-
2
|
PRINCIPLES OF INFOGRAPHIC DESIGN
sive manner. 5 Infographics have been used in a variety of fields
such as culinary arts, finance, and health care to amplify promo-
Effective design and content curation are essential for infographics to
tional activities, provide information, and serve as decision aids
succeed in education. Well-designed infographics improve readers’
for the general public. 4 The integration of infographics into edu-
attention and can maximize the impact of infographics for their
cational settings has been explored to improve accessibility and
intended audiences.7,8 Incorporating well-designed visual and textual
comprehension of complex information. Health care professionals
elements in infographics aligns with dual-coding theory, which sug-
have used infographics to communicate pertinent medical infor-
gests combining imagery and text leads to a synergistic effect on
mation and public health messages to patients, colleagues, stu-
learning.9 Thus, high quality, engaging infographics harness both visual
dents, or other learners.
6
There is limited evidence to date
and textual media to capture learners’ attentions beyond solely using
regarding infographics in the pharmacy profession. However, evi-
one method or the other. It is also important to not overload an
dence from other health care professions evaluating the role of
infographic with content and visuals, as individuals have limited short-
infographics in various classroom, clinic, or bedside settings pro-
term working memory and cognitive load to process new information.
vides insight into the potential application of infographics in
With intelligently designed infographics, this new information can
pharmacy education. 4,6
potentially be a better fit into the long-term memory of learners.10,11
FIGURE 1
infographic
Components of an
259
BARLOW ET AL.
Principles of design vary by medium but there are several design
should have a logical structure, including a background, content, and
features relevant to infographic design.12 Color, structure, and text
conclusion. Next, the overall design of the infographic should be
13
are elemental features of all infographics (Figure 1).
Color is a pow-
sketched or selected from a pre-made template on an infographic
erful tool when designing infographics and can impact the emotional
design service. Organizing content into an outline is easiest done with
tone of the infographic.14,15 Selecting a consistent color scheme is an
pen and paper and can help to construct a framework that facilitates
important step in designing an infographic as it will help set the emo-
the next design step. Constructing the design of the infographic
tional tone of the piece. Tools, such as the websites color.adobe.com/
should incorporate the design principles discussed above. Designers
create or coolors.co, are useful to generate color schemes. It should
should also include references in their work and seek peer-review to
be emphasized, however, that use of color should account for readers
assess for accuracy and readability.
with color blindness, which affects up to 5.6% of individuals.16
Several tools for infographic creation exist which can be used at
Although color can add emphasis and tone to an infographic, it should
all levels of design skill. Online tools, such as vengage.com, piktochart.
not be used to convey a message as meaning may be lost to individ-
com, spark.adobe.com, canva.com, and others, provide ready-to-use
uals who cannot perceive that information. In addition, color combina-
tools to allow for rapid infographic creation. Adobe Photoshop or
tions such as red and green, brown and green, purple and blue, and
Adobe Illustrator allows for more granularity but are costly and has a
blue and green, among others, may be difficult to distinguish for cer-
steep learning curve. A summary of some tools available for
tain users.
infographic design is available in Table 1. Educators may consider col-
Structure is the next key element of infographic design. The lay-
laboration with art or design students as an additional avenue for
out of an infographic should be decided at the beginning of the design
infographic design. Regardless of the tool, the content of the
process. The simplest way to do this is to sketch a simple grid. Varia-
infographic should be tailored to the context of its creation, the audi-
tions in the size, symmetry, position, and balance of each component
ence it is intended for, and the platform in which it will be
can add dynamics and emphasis to the infographic. The structure
published.26
should lead the viewer through the infographic in a logical pattern and
should be intended to minimize confusion or misinterpretation.
Infographics should be coherent, easy to follow, and emphasize key
points; a logical structure is crucial to achieving this.17 This logical
3 | I N FO G R A P H I C S F O R P A T I E N T
EDUC ATIO N
structure is in line with the concept of universal design, where the
design of objects or visuals should be usable by all people to the
Employing strategic, tailored design principles can help clinicians cre-
greatest extent possible.18 Infographics should be simple and intuitive,
ate useful educational media for their patients. Effective patient edu-
contain perceptible information, and require minimal effort to under-
cation is a critical component of high-quality health care and enables
stand, which are all core principles of equitable design.
patients to make informed decisions on their health care needs.27
Text and typeface are integral to the clarity of an infographics’
However, leading successful patient education in a traditional format
message. Ideally, no more than three fonts should be used throughout
poses numerous challenges. From the patient perspective, low health
an infographic and the fonts should optimize readability for the given
literacy can diminish an individual’s ability to obtain, process, under-
medium. The distinction between serif and sans-serif fonts for digital
stand, and communicate health-related information when package
19-23
As display technology has improved,
inserts or patient handouts are embedded with medical jargon.28 From
however, this distinction has become less relevant and thus, font
the provider perspective, high volumes in outpatient clinics, over-
selection is designer preference. The role of each font (eg, title font,
whelming administrative tasks, and outpatient pharmacy workflow
body text, subtitles) should be consistent and the volume of text
leads to less time available for thorough verbal patient education.
should be limited to the smallest amount to accurately convey the
Patient misunderstanding of their medical conditions and drugs is
message. Textual aspects should also be accessible to those who are
associated
visually impaired and thus, small text face should be limited.
outcomes.29,30
media is an area of debate.
with
poor
medication
adherence
and
suboptimal
When presenting data as a visualization instead of as text, effort
Current patient education materials including videos and hand-
should be made to minimize the amount of nondata ink (eg, unneces-
outs can be complicated and contain advanced medical terminology.
sary grid lines), remove redundant components, and avoid distor-
When visual aids are incorporated into patient education sessions,
tion.24 It is also important to consider ways in which data
patients have greater comprehension, recall, and medication adher-
visualizations may be deceiving, such as a y-axis that does not start at
ence. Patients reported improved knowledge of doses, when to take
0 for a bar chart. An appropriate data visualization method should also
their medicine, and the importance of completing the prescribed regi-
be chosen for the data type, such as using box plots for summarized
men.31,32 Infographics harness the power of these visual aids with
continuous data. A more thorough discussion of appropriate data
simplified, engaging designs that have the potential to bridge gaps
visualization practices can be found elsewhere.25
inpatient knowledge and empower patients to remain knowledgeable
Infographic creation follows a standard procedure in most
about their health. Compared with an educational video, patients edu-
instances. After topic selection, the infographic designer should draft
cated with infographics on asthma management were observed to
a preliminary outline of the flow of the infographic. Infographics
have sustained improvements in inhaler adherence at 1 month follow-
260
BARLOW ET AL.
F I G U R E 2 Patient education
infographic on the treatment and
prevention of rabies
up.33 Infographics can improve patient understanding of complex
strategies and updates in infection transmission risk as well as treat-
medical conditions like myelodysplastic syndrome compared with
ment strategies. These graphics help simplify complex medical infor-
standard verbal communication.34 Furthermore, patients who viewed
mation and aim to ensure patients remain informed about their
an infographic about cancer risk were more likely to identify the cor-
current health issues.
rect association between cancer risk and old age compared with those
Using infographics for patient education empowers patients to be
viewing text information.35 Infographics have been used for public
involved in their own care. Adults with persistent asthma counseled
health purposes by large national organizations, such as the Center of
on asthma management with a tailored infographic not only reported
Disease Control (CDC), to educate patients about vaccinations and
improvements in information comprehension but also increased their
public health issues. In the setting of the coronavirus 2019 pandemic,
self-management intentions.36 Infographics have also been assessed
the CDC has used infographics to communicate major prevention
as a means to address health literacy barriers across the age spectrum.
261
BARLOW ET AL.
compliance.39 National organizations, including the Agency for Health
care Research and Quality, have developed guidance documents for
providers, patients, and caregivers outlining step-by-step instructions
on how to create picture-based prescription instructions termed “Pill
Cards” as a visual way for patients to better track medication administration and assessment of adherence.40 As an example, pictures of the
sun and moon may be placed on the card with a colored circle placed
in each of these boxes to demonstrate that one pill should be taken in
the morning and one pill in the evening. Additional photos to augment
written instructions may include adding a picture of a plate of food to
illustrate that the medication should be administered with meals.
Pharmacists should consider the implementation of these creative,
visual tools to enhance patient and/or caregiver understanding of
medication instructions and administration requirements.
There are important limitations to the incorporation of infographics
into patient care. Too much information displayed at once can tax a
patient’s attention span and interfere with information comprehension.41 On the other hand, oversimplifying information can limit a
patient’s understanding of their medical condition or drugs. If not
described in-depth during the patient visit, patients may be inclined to
dispose of the infographic without the proper knowledge of its potential benefits. In addition, infographic development can be timeconsuming and may require additional staff that are specialized in
graphic design. Ideally, national organizations will follow suit with
infographic development that is universal for the most common disease
states. Although until this occurs, the ownership will be on providers
and additional staff for designing them. The resources for infographic
development may not be available for all providers, making it difficult
to implement these educational tools in practice.
Evidence exploring the use of infographics inpatient education is
continuously evolving. Pharmacists should consider these tools to
enhance patient understanding of complex medication regimens with
the goal of improving adherence, education, and patient engagement
in their health care. To maintain the integrity of infographics, any provider implementing them into their practice must not replace these
F I G U R E 3 Health care professional educational infographic on
rabies treatment and prevention
tools with the verbal explanation. Rather, infographics should be used
as a supplement, not a replacement, to the patient-provider discussion
because there are multiple important concepts infographics may not
be able to depict. An example of an inforgraphic designed for patient
A survey evaluating the effectiveness of infographics tailored to edu-
education on Rabies exposure and vaccination compared to provider
cating different audiences including children, adults, and health care
education can be found in Figure 2 and 3, respectively.
professionals about pediatric concussions revealed enhanced knowledge uptake, ability to better understand the disease state, and ability
to educate others as a result of their use.37 Furthermore, caregivers of
patients with dementia or cognitive impairment educated with
4 | INFOGRAPHICS IN HIGHER
EDUC ATIO N
infographics reported increased awareness and comprehension of the
health and medical needs of their patients.36 Infographics have also
A majority of current didactic material involves the use of textual
been demonstrated to be valuable in enhancing patient-provider com-
information. However, the traditional textual format may fall short of
munication for sensitive topics and overcoming health literacy in
capturing the attention of an increasingly digital age. Student atten-
resource-limited settings.38 Implementation of picture-based prescrip-
tion during traditional lecture-based teaching can wax and wane, with
tion instructions has been demonstrated to better for promoting
evidence suggesting this can occur as early as 5 minutes into a lec-
understanding of drug labels and administration instructions amongst
ture.42 Not only may attention span be limited, but the way the infor-
populations with low health literacy to optimize medication
mation is displayed also influences information retention. The
262
BARLOW ET AL.
TABLE 1
Summary of tools available for infographic design
Tool
Difficulty
Cost
Website
Vengage
Easy, templates available for use
Large degree of customization available
Free to use, subscription cost for full
features
Vengage.com
Piktochart
Easy, set templates available for use
Some of customization available
Limited colors and icons in free version
Free to use, subscription cost to export as
PDF, without watermark, and expand
beyond preset color schemes
Piktochart.com
Canva
Easy, templates available for use
Large degree of customization available
Interface can be challenging
Free to use, subscription cost for full set of
stock images and icons and formatting
tools
Canva.com
Adobe Spark
Easy, customizable structures and
templates available
Numerous stock images available
Free to use, free templates available
Spark.adobe.com
Infogram
Moderate, some templates available
Strong data visualization tools with ability
to insert numerous types of data-driven
graphs
Free to use limited set of tools, subscription
cost for full set of data visualizations and
templates
Infogram.com
Adobe Illustrator and
Photoshop
Difficult, requires experience with
professional design software
Full flexibility of design without limits of
online tool templates or features
Industry standard
Requires subscription or purchase of Adobe
Creative Suite
Adobe.com/products/
illustrator
Adobe.com/products/
photoshop
cognitive load theory describes how human memory can be distinctly
information. 47 Furthermore, developing an infographic was demon-
classified into working memory and long-term memory. Learning
strated to enhance students’ overall interest in the assigned topic. 48
experiences should be designed to reduce working memory load to
Pharmacy school curriculums are increasingly incorporating inno-
promote schema acquisition.43 A key strategy to reduce cognitive load
vative active teaching methods to keep students engaged in the class-
is removal of extraneous information. Infographics can aid in simplify-
room. The implementation of infographic development as a part of a
ing information into a more digestible format compared with conven-
didactic curriculum can improve comprehension of pertinent didactic
tional text. Data visualization in the form of infographics may provide
information, foster creativity, and promote the development of visual
a more concise form of information communication that engages a
literacy skills. Within the classroom setting, academic faculty who
broader audience, creates a rich educational experience, and promote
integrate literature review within their class could consider having stu-
information comprehension.
dents design visual abstracts for journal clubs. This would enable stu-
Research has supported the power of infographics to enhance
dents to display key concepts of a research study in a visual format
classroom education. These innovative visual aids can assist educators
(study design, methods, primary outcome, etc.) while also reducing
in promoting active learning by transforming complicated material into
cognitive load and enhancing engagement and interest in the
more easily digested, engaging, and visually-appealing information.44
assignment.
Displaying and disseminating information to learners in the form of an
Although infographics offer distinct benefits in the classroom,
infographic can enhance engagement in a variety of ways. Allowing
there are important barriers that may influence their positive impact
students to design their own infographics can facilitate the develop-
on teaching. Effective infographics must maintain a balance between
ment of writing skills beyond traditional formats as the learner
visuals and textual information, and imbalance may hinder the main
extracts the most important information to design the infographic.
message. It is important to carefully identify topics that may be best
Creating infographics can enhance multiple dimensions of compe-
displayed as an infographic, as the verbal or written format may be
tency including enhanced efficiency in literature retrieval, critical thinking
better suited for highly advanced topics to ensure that the concepts
skills, ability to interpret and communicate data, and creative design
are fully understood. Therefore, a thorough evaluation of the utility of
thinking.45,46 Building on these competencies can assist in increasing
infographics relative to the complexity of the topic should be carefully
information clarity, enhancing communication, and decision-making skills
assessed before implementation into an educational curriculum.49
through proper interpretation of complex data. After reviewing the
assigned literature to create an infographic, students reported performing
a deeper evaluation of articles to display the most pertinent information
which led to a more thorough understanding of the material.47 Further-
5 | I N F O G R A P H I C S I N R E S EA R C H
DISSEMINATION
more, the knowledge that the final product of their work was an
infographic instead of a text assignment led to students self-reporting
Educating learners and patients on the most recent advances in
increased critical appraisal of the evidence and improved retention of the
medical science is essential in helping to catalyze the adoption of
263
BARLOW ET AL.
new medical knowledge and engage patients in their own care.
infographics as more visually pleasing than a critical appraisal, partici-
Given the pace of medical publication, however, it can be challeng-
pants rated a greater degree of clarity with critical appraisals for sum-
ing for pharmacists to stay abreast of new research.
50
Infographics
marizing the systematic review. Infographic was deemed to be more
are a potential tool to improve the scope of research and expand the
appropriate for the media and the general public, and the critical
audience.51
appraisal was better suited for researchers and research funders. An
The role of infographics in research dissemination has been
additional survey sent to health care providers revealed infographics
best evaluated in the form of the visual abstract. A visual abstract
were preferred on social media, digital journals, or online publications,
is shorter than a full infographic and graphically summarizes the
but that text abstracts were still preferable in print journals.57
key methodology and conclusions of a study. Both journals and
Although the clarity of an infographic is contingent upon the designer,
authors have utilized visual abstracts, with journals like the Cana-
this underscores that infographics may not play a role in all forms of
dian Journal of Pharmacists, New England Journal of Medicine, Jour-
research and that assessing the audience is crucial when setting out
nal of the American Medical Association, Critical Care Medicine, and
to design an infographic.
British Medical Journal having utilized them with great success.
Clinical pharmacists and educators play a large role in the dis-
The editors of the Annals of Surgery observed an increase in jour-
semination of research. Infographics provide a novel, visually
nal website traffic of 2.7-fold when articles were summarized
appealing mechanism to summarize research results and foster a
with a visual abstract. 52 Although editorial teams may produce
wider audience for research findings. Although infographics may
official visual abstracts, authors can also design their own to help
not be ideal for all forms of research, such as systematic reviews,
share results of research with students, patients, and fellow
students especially may benefit from the high-yield summary of
researchers.
relevant research results. One limitation to the use of infographics
Full-sized infographics have the potential to provide additional
is the lack of increased knowledge extraction from simply reading
detail over visual abstracts. The Canadian Journal of Emergency Medi-
an abstract which may give readers a false sense of having gained
cine observed a 2-fold increase in online views and Altimetric scores,
the salient details of a piece of research by simply reviewing an
a measure of an article’s reach which includes citations, social media
infographic. Future research should evaluate whether research
attention, and online academic platforms, when an infographic was
posters presented at presentations designed as an infographic may
made for the article, although the infographic did not increase the
be a superior medium to the current minimanuscript form factor.58
number of full-text downloads of an article over a plain-text tweet of
The “better poster” movement has moved toward this idea and
53
the abstract.
Infographics have benefits for readers as well. Emer-
gency physicians evaluating eight articles (four represented as an
may improve knowledge extraction for learners attending academic
conferences.59
infographic and four represented as an abstract), preferred
infographics over plain-text abstracts and rated the infographics as
requiring significantly less mental effort to process. When assessed on
recall, physicians performed similarly between the two summary
6 | T H E I N T E R S E C T I O N BE T W EE N S O C I A L
M E D I A , I NF O G R A P H I C S , A N D E D U C A T I O N
types.54
It is important to highlight that infographics summarizing
Social media has emerged as an important real-time communication
research articles have not been demonstrated to improve knowl-
platform that enables the public sharing of information.46 In recent
edge retention or memory over traditional plain-text reading for
years, social media in health care as a means to connect, communi-
all audiences. A randomized controlled trial of students, the pub-
cate, and collaborate has grown substantially. When used appropri-
lic, and physicians reported improved reading experience and
ately, social media serves as an invaluable tool for health care
user-friendliness with infographics over a scientific abstract, but
professionals to increase engagement with learners, discuss and chal-
physicians did not have increased knowledge of the article when
lenge emerging research, pursue professional development, expand
assessed with a multiple choice test.55 This emphasizes that
social networks, engage in digital scholarship, and foster research pub-
infographics can increase exposure to research among pharma-
licity.60-62 The importance of developing a social media presence for
cists and other health care providers, but at this time are unable
pharmacists has been emerging and readers are suggested to review a
to supplant the role of full-text article review for the full apprecia-
recent publication by Dixon and colleagues to gain a comprehensive
tion of research findings. However, infographics are likely still a
understanding on strategies to create an effective and sustainable
more approachable form of teaching research findings to learners
social media profile.60 With regard to content delivered on social
and patients.
media, there is a symbiotic relationship that exists between high-
In addition, the wide appeal of using infographics to summarize
quality content and social media; without high-quality content, social
the key points of articles has not been found to be optimal to summa-
media loses its educational benefits, and without social media, no one
rize all forms of research or in all settings. A study evaluating the clar-
will benefit from its content.63 Thus, a successful social media strategy
ity, appropriateness for different audiences, and effectiveness of an
is achieved with close integration between high-quality information
infographic compared with a critical appraisal of a systematic review
and a thoughtful delivery method to allure the targeted audience.
56
Infographics disseminated on social media merge these principles as
revealed
inconsistent
results.
Although
participants
rated
264
BARLOW ET AL.
an effective method to deliver captivating content and extends the
education, but instead a supplement to more formal educational
reach of one’s audience.
methods.
Infographics can serve as valuable tools to promote brand
awareness and share educational content on social media. The
CONFLIC T OF INT ER E ST
interdisciplinary audience on social media provides the optimal plat-
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
form to communicate key messages with a broader network and
facilitate interdisciplinary education, an essential component of the
health care field. There has been a steady growth in the adoption
of social media platforms to seek medical information by learners,
medical professionals, and patients. It is estimated that 74% of
Americans use social media, with 59% specifically using it to seek
out medical information. 64 Although social media is an important
resource for medical information, it can also cause the dissemination of misinformation to the public. A PricewaterhouseCoopers
survey reported that patients said the most trusted health care
resources online are those posted by physicians and doctors
(60%), followed by nurses (56%), and hospitals (55%). 65 There is a
clear opportunity for pharmacists to gain additional notoriety as
sources of credible medical information online by posting
infographics on social media geared toward the public. It is essential that health care professionals on social media platforms aim
to terminate the spread of medical misinformation and focus their
efforts on establishing an online presence as a consistent, reliable
resource of credible information. Infographics may serve an
important role for spreading knowledge and valuable content that
educates and informs others.
7
|
C O N CL U S I O N
Infographics may serve as an effective educational strategy for synthesizing, analyzing, and sharing key messages with a targeted audience. The evolving evidence discussed in this review supports their
use to enhance the patient education experience, research dissemination, and higher-level education. Infographics can be uniquely
tailored to a wide array of audiences from various age groups,
degrees of health literacy, levels of education, and across health
care professions to strengthen educational opportunities across a
spectrum. The supporting body of evidence is diverse in health care
professional fields, however, more research is needed to identify
outcomes related to the integration of infographics within pharmacy education and furthermore, establish the best method to integrate infographics within varied practice settings. Pharmacists
should consider employing infographics into their clinical practice
setting and pursue additional research efforts to further define the
benefits of utilizing visual aids to promote information engagement,
comprehension, and retention amongst students and patients. Furthermore, more evidence is needed on leveraging the use of
infographics for interdisciplinary education and relation to pharmacy practice initiatives. The diverse scope of information that can
be displayed through an infographic and diverse audience reach is
evolving as an innovative approach to information dissemination.
However, their use should not serve as an alternative to traditional
OR CID
Brooke Barlow
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5118-7029
Andrew Webb
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3425-7181
RE FE RE NCE S
1. Smiciklas M. The power of infographics, using pictures to communicate
and connect with your audiences. Hoboken, New Jersey: Que Publishing, 2012.
2. Otten JJ, Cheng K, Drewnowski A. Infographics and public policy:
Using data visualization to convey complex information. Health
Affairs. 2015;34(11):1901–1907.
3. Larkin JH, Simon HA. Why a diagram is (sometimes) worth ten thousand words. Cogn Sci. 1987;11(1):65–100.
4. Scott H, Fawkner S, Oliver C, Murray A. Why healthcare professionals
should know a little about infographics. Br J Sports Med. 2016;50(18):
1104–1105.
5. Mayer RE. Multimedia learning. 2nd ed. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
6. McCrorie AD, Donnelly C, McGlade KJ. Infographics: Healthcare communication for the digital age. Ulster Med J. 2016;85(2):71–75.
7. Itti L, Koch C. Computational modelling of visual attention. Nat Rev
Neurosci. 2001;2(3):194–203.
8. Mayer RE. Applying the science of learning: Evidence-based principles for
the design of multimedia instruction. Am Psychol. 2008;63(8):760–769.
9. Clark JM, Paivio A. Dual coding theory and education. Educ Psychol
Rev. 1991;3(3):149–210.
10. Kirschner PA. Cognitive load theory: implications of cognitive load
theory on the design of learning. Learn Instr. 2002;12(1):1–10.
11. Van Merri JJG, Sweller J. Cognitive load theory in health professional
education: design principles and strategies: Cognitive load theory.
Med Educ. 2010;44(1):85–93.
12. Kimball MA. Visual design principles: An empirical study of design
lore. J Tech Writ Commun. 2013;43(1):3–41.
13. Guido A. The art of infographics [Accessed 2020 Mar 14]. Available from: https://ibit.temple.edu/analytics/files/2015/10/Artof-infographics-2015.pdf
14. Wilms L, Oberfeld D. Color and emotion: Effects of hue, saturation,
and brightness. Psychol Res. 2018;82(5):896–914.
15. Valdez P, Mehrabian A. Effects of color on emotions. J Exp Psychol
Gen. 1994;123(4):394–409.
16. Xie JZ, Tarczy-Hornoch K, Lin J, Cotter SA, Torres M, Varma R. Color vision
deficiency in preschool children. Ophthalmology. 2014;121(7):1469–1474.
17. Dunlap JC, Lowenthal PR. Getting graphic about infographics: Design
lessons learned from popular infographics. J Vis Lit. 2016;35(1):
42–59.
18. Connell BR, Miller J, Mace R. The principle of universal design. Version 1.1. 1995. Available from: https://www.access-board.gov/
guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/26-255-guidelines/
825-principles-of-universal-design.
19. Arditi A, Cho J. Serifs and font legibility. Vision Res. 2005;45(23):
2926–2933.
20. Dogusoy B, Cicek F, Cagiltay K. How serif and sans serif typefaces
influence reading on screen: An eye tracking study. Design, User
Experience, and Usability: Novel User Experiences. Marcus A, 9747
Manhattan, New York City: Springer International Publishing; 2016;
p. 578–586.
265
BARLOW ET AL.
21. Song H, Schwarz N. If it’s hard to read, it’s hard to do: Processing fluency affects effort prediction and motivation. Psychol Sci. 2008;19
(10):986–988.
22. Sanchez CA, Jaeger AJ. If it’s hard to read, it changes how long you
do it: Reading time as an explanation for perceptual fluency effects
on judgment. Psychon Bull Rev. 2015;22(1):206–211.
23. Lund O. Knowledge construction in typography: The case of legibility
research and the legibility of sans serif typefaces. Reading, Berkshire,
UK: University of Reading, 1999.
24. Duke SP, Bancken F, Crowe B, Soukup M, Botsis T, Forshee R. Seeing
is believing good graphic design principles for medical research. Stat
Med. 2015;34(22):3040–3059.
25. Tufte ER. The visual display of quantitative information. 2nd ed. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press, 2001.
26. Wansink B, Robbins R. Which design components of nutrition
infographics make them memorable and compelling? Am J Health
Behav. 2016;40(6):779–787.
27. DeMarco J, Nystrom M, Salvatore K. The importance of patient education throughout the continuum of health care. J Consumer Health
Internet. 2011;15(1):22–31.
28. Wittink H, Oosterhaven J. Patient education and health literacy. Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2018;38:120–127.
29. Oliffe M, Thompson E, Johnston J, Freeman D, Bagga H, Wong PKK.
Assessing the readability and patient comprehension of rheumatology
medicine information sheets: A cross-sectional Health Literacy Study.
BMJ Open. 2019;9(2):e024582.
30. Taibanguay N, Chaiamnuay S, Asavatanabodee P, Narongroeknawin P.
Effect of patient education on medication adherence of patients with
rheumatoid arthritis: A randomized controlled trial. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2019;13:119–129.
31. Katz MG, Kripalani S, Weiss BD. Use of pictorial aids in medication
instructions: A review of the literature. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2006;
63(23):2391–2397.
32. Garcia-Retamero R, Galesic M. Who profits from visual aids: Overcoming challenges in people’s understanding of risks. Soc Sci Med.
2010;70(12):2097.
33. Ebrahimabadi M, Rezaei K, Moini A, Fournier A, Abedi A. Infographics
or video; which one is more effective in asthmatic patients’ health? A
randomized clinical trial. J Asthma. 2019;56(12):1306–1313.
34. Steensma DP. Graphical representation of clinical outcomes for
patients with myelodysplastic syndromes. Leuk Lymphoma. 2016;57
(1):17–20.
35. Mccrorie AD, Chen JJ, Weller R, Mcglade KJ, Donnelly C. Trial of
infographics in Northern Ireland (TINI): Preliminary evaluation and
results of a randomized controlled trial comparing infographics with
text. Cogent Med. 2018;5(1):1483591.
36. Arcia A, Suero-tejeda N, Spiegel-gotsch N, Luchsinger JA,
Mittelman M, Bakken S. Helping Hispanic family caregivers of persons with dementia “Get the Picture” about health status through tailored infographics. Gerontologist. 2019;59(5):e479–e489.
37. Provvidenza CF, Hartman LR, Carmichael J, Reed N. Does a picture
speak louder than words? The role of infographics as a concussion
education strategy. J Vis Commun Med. 2019;42(3):102–113.
38. Stonbraker S, Halpern M, Bakken S, Schnall R. Developing
infographics to facilitate HIV-related patient-provider communication
in a limited-resource setting. Appl Clin Inform. 2019;10(4):597–609.
39. Kripalani S, Robertson R, Love-Ghaffari MH, et al. Development of an
illustrated medication schedule as a low-literacy patient education
tool. Patient Educ Couns. 2007;66(3):368–377.
40. Jacobson KL, Kripalani S, Gazmararian JA, McMorris KJ. How to Create a Pill Card. (Prepared under contract No. 290–00-0011 T07.) AHRQ
Publication No. 08-M016. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality, 2008.
41. Damman OC, Vonk SI, Van den haak MJ, Van hooijdonk CMJ,
Timmermans DRM. The effects of infographics and several
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
quantitative versus qualitative formats for cardiovascular disease risk,
including heart age, on people’s risk understanding. Patient Educ
Couns. 2018;101(8):1410–1418.
Bunce DM, Flens EA, Neiles KY. How long can students pay attention
in class? A study of student attention decline using clickers. J Chem
Educ. 2010;87(12):1438–1443.
Klapp ST, Marshburn EA, Lester PT. Short-term memory does not
involve the “working memory” of information processing: The
demise of a common assumption. J Exp Psychol General. 1983;112
(2):240–264.
Chicca J, Chunta K. Engaging students with visual stories: Using
infographics in nursing education. Teach Learn Nurs. 2020;15:32–36.
Shanks JD, Izumi B, Sun C, Martin A, Byker Shanks C. Teaching
undergraduate students to visualize and communicate public health
data with infographics. Front Public Health. 2017;5:315.
Uyan D, Banu _I. Data visualization and infographics in visual communication design education at the age of information. J Arts Humanit.
2014;3:39–50.
Hsiao PY, Laquatra I, Johnson RM, Smolic CE. Using infographics to
teach the evidence analysis process to senior undergraduate students. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2019;119(1):26–30.
VanderMolen J, Spivey C. Creating infographics to enhance student
engagement and communication in health economics. J Econ Educ.
2017;48:198–205.
Takashima R, Ito M, Chida T, et al. Evaluation and statistical analysis
of the use of infographics in radiology education. Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2019;184(3–4):543–546.
Densen P. Challenges and opportunities facing medical education.
Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc. 2011;122:48–58.
Murray IR, Murray AD, Wordie SJ, Oliver CW, Murray AW,
Simpson AHRW. Maximising the impact of your work using
infographics. Bone Joint Res. 2017;6(11):619–620.
Ibrahim AM, Lillemoe KD, Klingensmith ME, Dimick JB. Visual
abstracts to disseminate research on social media: A prospective,
case-control crossover study. Ann Surg. 2017;266(6):e46–e48.
Huang S, Martin LJ, Yeh CH, et al. The effect of an infographic promotion on research dissemination and readership: A randomized controlled trial. CJEM. 2018;20(6):826–833.
Martin LJ, Turnquist A, Groot B, et al. Exploring the role of
infographics for summarizing medical literature. Health Prof Educ.
2019;5(1):48–57.
Buljan I, Malički M, Wager E, et al. No difference in knowledge
obtained from infographic or plain language summary of a Cochrane
systematic review: Three randomized controlled trials. J Clin
Epidemiol. 2018;97:86–94.
Crick K, Hartling L. Preferences of knowledge users for two formats
of summarizing results from systematic reviews: Infographics and critical appraisals. PLoS One. 2015;10(10):e0140029.
Turck CJ, Silva MA, Tremblay SR, Sachse SL. A preliminary study of
health care professionals’ preferences for infographics versus conventional abstracts for communicating the results of clinical research.
J Contin Educ Health Prof. 2014;34:S36–S38.
Persky AM. Scientific posters: A plea from a conference attendee.
AJPE. 2016;80(10):162.
Morrison (@mikemorrison) M. Let’s fix academic posters! Prepping a
poster for #SIOP19 and… Twitter. 2019, 10:46 a.m. tweet.
Dixon DL, Reed BN. To tweet or not to tweet? A primer on
social media for pharmacists. J Am Coll Clin Pharm. 2019;2(5):554–562.
Pershad Y, Hangge PT, Albadawi H, Oklu R. Social medicine: Twitter
in healthcare. J Clin Med. 2018;7(6).
Gunaratne K, Haghbayan H, Coomes EA. Tweeting authors: Impact
on research publicity and downstream citations. J Gen Intern Med.
2020;35(6):1926–1927.
Houssem D. 8 essential elements of a social media marketing strategy. Social Med Exam. Website. Accessed 2020 Mar 18. Available
266
from:
https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/essential-elementssocial-media-marketing-strategy/
64. Duggan M, Lenhart A, Lampe C, Ellison NB. Parents and social media.
Washington, DC: Pew Research Center, 2015 Available from: http://
www.pewinternet.org/2015/07/16/parents-and-social-media/.
65. Pricewater House Company Survey, Global Consumer Insights Survey, 2018. Website. Accessed 2019 Mar 15. Available from: https://
www.pwc.com/gx/en/retail-consumer/assets/consumer-trust-globalconsumer-insights-survey.pdf
BARLOW ET AL.
How to cite this article: Barlow B, Webb A, Barlow A.
Maximizing the visual translation of medical information: A
narrative review of the role of infographics in clinical
pharmacy practice, education, and research. J Am Coll Clin
Pharm. 2021;4:257–266. https://doi.org/10.1002/jac5.1386
PEX 7310 LPE I
Grading Rubric for Infographic Assignment
This is a 200-point assignment (100 points from P3 Mentor, 100 points from Drs Greene and Carr)
Criteria
Achievement Level
Outstanding
Proficient
Developing
Unacceptable
Clarity
80
The topic and messages of the
infographic are clear and easily
understood; Intended to inform or
convince the viewer.
70
Topic and main ideas are clear.
60
Topic is given but main ideas are
unclear or lacking.
0
Topic and/or main ideas are
absent.
GraphicsVisual
40
Color, shape, size, and arrangement
of graphics contribute meaning to
the overall message.
32
Color, shape, size, and
arrangement are eye catching
and contribute some meaning.
28
Color, shape, size, and arrangement
are present but do not add to the
information.
0
No graphics are used OR color,
shape, size, and arrangement
are distracting or misleading.
Design/Layout
40
Is neat, clear, and visually appealing.
32
Is attractive in terms of design,
layout, and neatness.
28
Is acceptably attractive though it
may be a bit messy.
0
Is very poorly designed.
Expectation
20
P1 met P3s expectations for P3s
assignment due date.
16
P1 did not meet P3s expectation
for P3s assignment due date.
Assignment 1-2 days late.
12
P1 did not meet P3s expectation for
P3s assignment due date.
Assignment 3-4 days late.
0
P1 did not meet P3s expectation
for P3s assignment due date.
Assignment 5 or more days late.
Structure and
mechanics
10
Spelling and grammar are correct
throughout.
6
There is 1 error in spelling and
grammar
4
There are 2 errors in spelling and
grammar
0
>2 errors in spelling and
grammar
References
10
At least 1 reference cited and in AMA
format
—
4
At least 1 reference cited but not in
AMA format
0
References not cited