by Ros Dowse
What is a pictogram?
A pictogram may be described as a stylized, figurative, two-dimensional drawing intended to attract the viewer’s attention and convey information to enable quick and clear communication without language or words. Pictograms enhance the attractiveness and user-friendliness of heath information and can improve its comprehension and recall. However, they can easily be misinterpreted, particularly in low health literacy populations, and should therefore never be used as the sole source of information, but they can play a valuable role as a communication tool in reinforcing both verbal and printed health and medicine information.
A common application relates to their use with medicines where they may serve to convey instructions, precautions, storage requirements, warnings, as well as medicine indication or side effects to patients or consumers. Many examples of the diverse application of pictograms in the health literature have been described including health promotion materials, wound care instructions, asthma prevention and treatment, injury prevention, discharge instructions, self-care guidance, paediatric anaphylaxis plan, organ and body donation, CT scan risks and benefits, driving risks, safety symbols, decision aids for treatment, and patient-reported outcomes dashboards, amongst others.
How it all started at Rhodes University
This pictogram journey was initiated in 1993 at Rhodes University, South Africa, with a collaborative partnership of Ros Dowse and Tina Ehlers, two pharmacy academics. After looking at the USP pictograms which were developed in the USA they both had the same response: “great idea, but many of these will not be easily comprehended in our country” as South Africa is a low- to middle- income country with a large public sector patient population, many of whom have incomplete schooling and inadequate reading skills, especially in English. A process of modifying/redesigning 40 USP pictograms was initiated, with Tina drawing the initial set of RU pictograms. Both the RU and the USP pictograms were then extensively tested in different language groupings, both locally and nationally.
Many pictogram research projects have followed, with new pictograms designed in collaboration with the target group members being added to the database of pictograms produced at Rhodes University. Graphic designer, Susan Abraham, has generated all subsequent RU pictograms. Frequent requests to use the pictograms have been received over the years and it became evident that a formal, accessible database of pictograms designed for those with limited literacy and/or limited visual literacy skills would be of benefit to a range of people interested in this area – researchers, healthcare professionals, health communication practitioners, health literacy experts, public health care personnel etc.
RU PICTOGRAM DATABASE
The database consists of 8 categories containing around 100 pictograms most of which have undergone multiple cycles of testing and modification. New pictograms generated during future projects will continue to be added.
An overview of all 8 categories with their pictograms can be viewed in this PDF. LINK: RU Pictograms categorised, The complete database cannot be downloaded in its entirety (limitation of the website system).
Last Modified: Thu, 25 Mar 2021 10:57:49 SAST
