Korenevsky Artyom, Vaillancourt Régis, Pouliot Annie, Revol Marine, Steed Evan, Besançon Luc, Wahrendorf Marit-Saskia, Patel Jaimisha R
, BSc(Pharm), was, at the time of this study, a pharmacy student at the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, on rotation with the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario.
Can J Hosp Pharm. 2013 Jul;66(4):219-26. doi: 10.4212/cjhp.v66i4.1269.
Communicating health-related instructions with pictograms is useful, but such graphics can be interpreted in different ways. It is crucial to understand which pictogram components are best for accurate communication.
To catalogue pictograms used to label drugs in clinical practice; to identify the common graphic elements for defined categories of pictograms, by performing a semiotic analysis (studying how signs are perceived and how they should be designed); to identify the key graphic elements common to pictograms preferred by users; and to develop suggestions for future pictogram design on the basis of users' input.
Literature and Internet searches were performed to identify pictograms and pictogram categories. A call for pictograms was also circulated through the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). Youth at a Canadian pediatric hospital were asked to rate pictograms (including storyboards and prescription labels generated by FIP pictogram software) in terms of how best they represented their intended meanings. Pictograms for which at least 80% of participants "somewhat agreed", "agreed", or "strongly agreed" that the graphic conveyed the intended meaning were designated as "preferred" and were selected for analysis. Elements appearing in at least 50% of these preferred pictograms were highlighted as key graphic elements for design of future pictograms.
In total, 21 categories were identified for pictograms used in clinical practice, and a total of 204 pictograms were analyzed. Eighty-six participants took part in the survey. For each pictogram category, certain elements were identified as "preferred" and as "key graphic elements", whereas other elements met neither designation. For all 21 pictogram categories, at least 80% of survey respondents agreed that the FIP storyboard conveyed the intended meaning.
Certain key, preferred graphic elements are required for pharmaceutical pictograms to convey their intended meaning. The overlap between preferred and key pictogram elements indicates that both must be considered in development of future pictograms. Redesign of existing pictograms with consideration of the best semiotic elements is in progress.
用象形图传达与健康相关的说明很有用，但这些图形可能会有不同的解读方式。了解哪些象形图组件最有助于准确传达信息至关重要。
对临床实践中用于药品标签的象形图进行编目；通过进行符号学分析（研究符号如何被感知以及应如何设计），确定特定类别的象形图的常见图形元素；识别用户偏好的象形图共有的关键图形元素；并根据用户的反馈为未来象形图设计提出建议。
通过文献和互联网搜索来识别象形图和象形图类别。还通过国际制药联合会（FIP）发布了征集象形图的通知。加拿大一家儿科医院的青少年被要求根据象形图（包括FIP象形图软件生成的情节串联图板和处方标签）对其预期含义的表达程度进行评分。至少80%的参与者“有点同意”、“同意”或“强烈同意”该图形传达了预期含义的象形图被指定为“首选”并被选作分析对象。在这些首选象形图中至少50%出现的元素被突出显示为未来象形图设计的关键图形元素。
总共确定了临床实践中使用的象形图的21个类别，共分析了204个象形图。86名参与者参与了调查。对于每个象形图类别，某些元素被确定为“首选”和“关键图形元素”，而其他元素均未达到这两个标准。对于所有21个象形图类别，至少80%的调查受访者同意FIP情节串联图板传达了预期含义。
药品象形图需要某些关键的、首选的图形元素来传达其预期含义。首选和关键象形图元素之间的重叠表明，在未来象形图的开发中必须同时考虑这两者。目前正在考虑最佳符号学元素对现有象形图进行重新设计。
