In keeping with the Workplace of the Surgeon Basic, solely about 12 p.c of the U.S. inhabitants has appropriate well being literacy abilities. Well being literacy is the repertoire of information we fall again on to grasp treatment directions, perceive our dangers for sure illnesses, and make selections relating to our personal well-being. Wading via a convoluted medical system like the US is troublesome even for these lucky sufficient to have entry to stable academic supplies.
Conversations with well being care suppliers and the educational pamphlets they could hand out are sometimes laden with jargon. Understandably, the medical lexicon is advanced and inaccessible to many individuals. Additionally, understandably, sufferers get annoyed after they can’t comprehend what’s happening with their our bodies as a result of the which means is being obfuscated by medical phrasing.
Enter graphic drugs: a visible illustration that enables us to current affected person info in a extra consumable method. I consider that graphic drugs often is the key to augmenting affected person well being literacy. There are a multiplicity of ways in which graphic drugs could also be applied in hospitals, personal practices, expert nursing amenities, and rehabilitative care facilities to enhance affected person care and be certain that sufferers perceive their diagnoses, care plans, and drugs directions. Graphic drugs additionally has the potential to help us in combating continual illnesses by offering us with an unambiguous means by which to coach sufferers on life-style selections and vitamin.
Extra particularly, I consider graphic drugs can be utilized to assist physicians in vitamin counseling. I feel visible drugs may be notably highly effective as an academic instrument for pediatric suppliers. As seen within the picture above, graphic drugs may be utilized to introduce youngsters to nuanced ideas in vitamin, like the concept no meals are dangerous or good. Nutritionists typically condemn one of these dichotomous considering, as it may result in cycles of binging and purging and different unhealthy consuming behaviors. Regardless of this, we frequently use value-imbued phrases to debate meals choices or encourage our kids to eat sure meals fairly than others. Right here, we see friendly-appearing donut and lettuce characters that train a brief, easy lesson utilizing graphic drugs methods. With visible aids, the crux of the vitamin lesson is clear, with little or no textual content required. Thus, graphic drugs can train youngsters and their dad and mom’ precious classes about vitamin and wholesome meals behaviors.
Finally, I consider the potential of graphic drugs is limitless. Whereas I’m obsessed with graphic drugs as a way to assist instruct sufferers about vitamin, it may be utilized to any realm of medication to assist higher elucidate advanced concepts.
Caroline Berberian is a medical assistant and premedical pupil.
