The Display of Medical Information: Content, Format, and Subjective Experience

Area of Science:

• Healthcare communication
• Patient experience
• Health psychology

Background:

• Artwork in healthcare settings can improve patient experience.
• Limited understanding of patient reactions to medical information displays, particularly for sensitive topics like skin cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate subjective experiences with medical information format and content in healthcare settings.
• Address the gap in literature regarding patient responses to visual health information.

Main Methods:

• A 2x2x2 between-subjects design was employed.
• Examined content (skin cancer vs. skin care), format (poster vs. pamphlet), and visit reason (routine check vs. mole evaluation).
• Measured subjective experiences, including anxiety levels.

Main Results:

• Skin cancer information induced higher anxiety and arousal compared to sunscreen information.
• Sunscreen posters were recommended to enhance patient experience and reduce stress.
• Posters were perceived as more visually engaging than pamphlets.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare exam rooms should incorporate visually engaging elements that do not induce anxiety.
• Further research is necessary to fully understand patient interactions with medical information content and format.