Do Pictograms on Medication Packages Cause People to Consult Package Inserts Less Often? If so, With What Consequences?
Overall, pharmaceutical pictograms seem to improve medication adherence. However, little is known about how warning pictograms (e.g., “do not drive after taking”) on medication packages influence patients’ information-seeking strategies such as consulting the package insert (PI) to determine other f...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Behavioral Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/8/696 |
| _version_ | 1797585446489817088 |
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| author | Ester Reijnen Lea Laasner Vogt Swen J. Kühne Jan P. Fiechter |
| author_facet | Ester Reijnen Lea Laasner Vogt Swen J. Kühne Jan P. Fiechter |
| author_sort | Ester Reijnen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Overall, pharmaceutical pictograms seem to improve medication adherence. However, little is known about how warning pictograms (e.g., “do not drive after taking”) on medication packages influence patients’ information-seeking strategies such as consulting the package insert (PI) to determine other features such as the correct dosage. In this online study, participants (358 students) were presented with three fictitious scenarios (e.g., headache after alcohol consumption; factor scenario) in which medication use would be contraindicated. Each scenario was accompanied by a visual presentation of a medication package that could contain three possible pictogram selections or arrangements (factor warning); some arrangements contained pictograms relevant to the situation represented by the scenario, while others did not. Participants had to decide which dosage of the represented medication they were allowed to take in the given scenario. In making this decision, they could consult the PI or not. Overall, in two out of the three scenarios (driving and pregnancy), medication packages with relevant pictograms resulted in fewer PI consultations but led to more correct dosage decisions (“no pill”) than packages with irrelevant pictograms. Pictograms generally played no role in either the review of the PI consultation or dosage decisions in the alcohol scenario. Providing warning-relevant pictograms on medication packages can help people know when they should not take medication even without reading the PI. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:07:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4728069065b14b1e9e4188122ed11b97 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:07:19Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-4728069065b14b1e9e4188122ed11b972023-11-19T00:17:20ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2023-08-0113869610.3390/bs13080696Do Pictograms on Medication Packages Cause People to Consult Package Inserts Less Often? If so, With What Consequences?Ester Reijnen0Lea Laasner Vogt1Swen J. Kühne2Jan P. Fiechter3School of Applied Psychology, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Pfingstweidstrasse 96, CH-8005 Zurich, SwitzerlandSchool of Applied Psychology, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Pfingstweidstrasse 96, CH-8005 Zurich, SwitzerlandSchool of Applied Psychology, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Pfingstweidstrasse 96, CH-8005 Zurich, SwitzerlandSchool of Applied Psychology, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Pfingstweidstrasse 96, CH-8005 Zurich, SwitzerlandOverall, pharmaceutical pictograms seem to improve medication adherence. However, little is known about how warning pictograms (e.g., “do not drive after taking”) on medication packages influence patients’ information-seeking strategies such as consulting the package insert (PI) to determine other features such as the correct dosage. In this online study, participants (358 students) were presented with three fictitious scenarios (e.g., headache after alcohol consumption; factor scenario) in which medication use would be contraindicated. Each scenario was accompanied by a visual presentation of a medication package that could contain three possible pictogram selections or arrangements (factor warning); some arrangements contained pictograms relevant to the situation represented by the scenario, while others did not. Participants had to decide which dosage of the represented medication they were allowed to take in the given scenario. In making this decision, they could consult the PI or not. Overall, in two out of the three scenarios (driving and pregnancy), medication packages with relevant pictograms resulted in fewer PI consultations but led to more correct dosage decisions (“no pill”) than packages with irrelevant pictograms. Pictograms generally played no role in either the review of the PI consultation or dosage decisions in the alcohol scenario. Providing warning-relevant pictograms on medication packages can help people know when they should not take medication even without reading the PI.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/8/696pharmaceutical pictogramsinformation seekingPI consultationcorrect dosageadherence |
| spellingShingle | Ester Reijnen Lea Laasner Vogt Swen J. Kühne Jan P. Fiechter Do Pictograms on Medication Packages Cause People to Consult Package Inserts Less Often? If so, With What Consequences? Behavioral Sciences pharmaceutical pictograms information seeking PI consultation correct dosage adherence |
| title | Do Pictograms on Medication Packages Cause People to Consult Package Inserts Less Often? If so, With What Consequences? |
| title_full | Do Pictograms on Medication Packages Cause People to Consult Package Inserts Less Often? If so, With What Consequences? |
| title_fullStr | Do Pictograms on Medication Packages Cause People to Consult Package Inserts Less Often? If so, With What Consequences? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Do Pictograms on Medication Packages Cause People to Consult Package Inserts Less Often? If so, With What Consequences? |
| title_short | Do Pictograms on Medication Packages Cause People to Consult Package Inserts Less Often? If so, With What Consequences? |
| title_sort | do pictograms on medication packages cause people to consult package inserts less often if so with what consequences |
| topic | pharmaceutical pictograms information seeking PI consultation correct dosage adherence |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/8/696 |
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