Febres-Cordero Sarah, Sherman Athena D F, Kumsa Biyeshi, Klepper Meredith, Shanun Fawas, Grant Sophie, Duroseau Brenice, Leslie Sharon L, Gupta Pranav, Béliveau Abigail, Landerfelt Patti, Cohen Sydney, Lawrence Carissa, Linsenmeyer Whitney, Szczech Molly, Balthazar Monique S, Operario Don
Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2025 Apr 22;22(5):657. doi: 10.3390/ijerph22050657.
Low health literacy is a known contributing factor to poorer patient outcomes. Health information is often presented through materials written at high reading levels and thus may be an ineffective education tool for patients of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, age ranges, and education levels. Graphic medicine (i.e., healthcare concepts presented through illustrations, such as comics or cartoons) may be a more equitable and efficacious format for many patients. The purpose of this review was to describe the efficacy and use of graphic medicine interventions regarding health outcomes, behavior changes, and engagement with health services. Nine databases were searched for studies that were randomized controlled trials in the English language, published before 4 December 2023. The searches identified 34 research articles that met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. This review revealed four key takeaways: (1) graphic medicine interventions are used globally; (2) graphic medicine interventions may be efficacious for a wide variety of health topics; (3) graphic medicine can be equitably delivered in many formats; and (4) graphic medicine can be applied broadly across the lifespan. The findings suggest that graphic medicine enhances patient engagement, empowers individuals with knowledge, and ultimately contributes to improved health outcomes across various populations; however, more effectiveness trials are needed. Additionally, an expanded definition of graphic medicine is presented.
健康素养低是导致患者预后较差的一个已知因素。健康信息通常通过高阅读水平的材料呈现，因此对于社会经济背景、年龄范围和教育水平各异的患者来说，可能是一种无效的教育工具。图文医学（即通过插图，如漫画或卡通呈现的医疗保健概念）对许多患者而言可能是一种更公平、更有效的形式。本综述的目的是描述图文医学干预在健康结果、行为改变以及与医疗服务互动方面的效果和应用情况。检索了九个数据库，查找2023年12月4日前发表的英文随机对照试验研究。检索结果确定了34篇符合纳入/排除标准的研究文章。本综述揭示了四个关键要点：（1）图文医学干预在全球范围内得到应用；（2）图文医学干预可能对广泛的健康主题有效；（3）图文医学可以通过多种形式公平地提供；（4）图文医学可以在整个生命周期中广泛应用。研究结果表明，图文医学能提高患者的参与度，使个人获得知识，最终有助于改善不同人群的健康结果；然而，还需要更多的有效性试验。此外，还提出了图文医学的扩展定义。
