Development of the Reporting Infographics and Visual Abstracts of Comparative studies (RIVA-C) checklist and guide.

Area of Science:

• Health communication
• Medical research dissemination
• Scientific visualization

Background:

• Infographics are increasingly used as a substitute for full research articles.
• Many current infographics lack sufficient detail for accurate interpretation and informed health decisions.
• This gap can lead to misinterpretation of research findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a checklist and guide (RIVA-C) to improve the completeness and accuracy of infographics summarizing comparative health studies.
• To ensure infographics provide adequate information for readers to understand research findings without necessarily referring to the full text.

Main Methods:

• Identified need through a survey on infographic usage.
• Informed checklist items via a systematic review of infographic reporting practices.
• Conducted a two-round modified Delphi survey with 92 stakeholders (developers, researchers, health professionals).
• Developed and pilot-tested accompanying explanations and examples over six months.

Main Results:

• The RIVA-C checklist comprises 10 items.
• The guide includes explanations and examples to facilitate clear and transparent infographic creation.
• Pilot testing confirmed the utility of the developed resources.

Conclusions:

• The RIVA-C checklist and guide aim to enhance the quality of infographics for comparative health studies.
• Accurate and detailed infographics promote appropriate communication of research findings.
• The checklist is designed for broad adoption by infographic developers and stakeholders to prevent misinterpretation.