Mei?Hua Chuang|Chin?Lon Lin|Yuh-Feng Wang|Thau?Ming Cham
Development of Pictographs Depicting Medication Use Instructions for Low-Literacy Medical Clinic Ambulatory Patients
Kaohsiung Medical University
one approach help elderly lowliteracy patients understand instructions medication use use pictographs pictorial diagrams however pictographs designed medical professionals may optimal patientsto compare lowliteracy patients medical staff dimensions preference comprehension pictographs intended illustrate medication use instructions medical clinic ambulatory patientsfollowing 2 pilot tests first small samples 5 pharmacists 5 patients second 100 patients low literacy survey pictograph understanding preference conducted may october 2008 survey used third version 3 sets pictographs 4 medication instruction categories 250 lowliteracy patients 250 members medical staff teaching hospital southern taiwan 4 medication instruction categories route administration external use b time day medication administration c medication administration meals administration quantity measure preference pictograph subset best described instruction measure comprehension percentage participants understood meaning pictograph differences 2 groups pictograph choice comprehension calculated using fishers exact testall patients considered low literacy never attended school grade 6 education less preference pictographs significantly different patients medical staff 12 sets pictographs comprehension significantly different patients medical staff pictographs categories medication administration time day medication administration associated meals pictographs representing bedtime meals meals percentage patients chose understand significantly higher percentage medical staff choosing item 3 patient age groups 60 years younger 432 aged 61 70 years 264 aged 71 years older 304 preference found significantly different among 3 patient age groups pictographs medication administration time meals p 0002 meals p 0007 mealsp 0037 pictographs representing half tablet p 0012 category administration quantity comprehension found differ among 3 patient age groups pictographs representing bedtime p 0040 meal p 0022 meals p 0025 meals p 0014 one two three tablets p 0041patients medical staff significant differences preference categories medical instruction pictographs significant differences comprehension pictographs categories medication administration time day medication administration associated meals patients preferences comprehension research medical instruction pictographs agerelated successful development comprehensible prescription drug label diverse sample patients consulted ensure pictographs depicting medication use instructions useful individuals including low literacy