How do people use and view infographics that summarise health and medical research? A cross-sectional survey
Abstract Background Understanding how people use infographics and their opinion on them has important implications for the design of infographics but has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to describe people’s use of and opinions about infographics summarising health and medical resear...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-09-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03744-6 |
| _version_ | 1811267534666596352 |
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| author | Joshua R. Zadro Giovanni E. Ferreira Mary O’Keeffe Will Stahl-Timmins Mark R. Elkins Christopher G. Maher |
| author_facet | Joshua R. Zadro Giovanni E. Ferreira Mary O’Keeffe Will Stahl-Timmins Mark R. Elkins Christopher G. Maher |
| author_sort | Joshua R. Zadro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Understanding how people use infographics and their opinion on them has important implications for the design of infographics but has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to describe people’s use of and opinions about infographics summarising health and medical research, preferences for information to include in infographics, and barriers to reading full-text articles. Methods We conducted an online cross-sectional survey of consumers of infographics that summarise health or medical research. Demographic and outcome data were collected and summarised using descriptive statistics. A sensitivity analysis explored whether being a researcher/academic influenced the findings. Results Two hundred fifty-four participants completed the survey (88% completion rate). Participants included health professionals (66%), researchers (34%), academics (24%), and patients/the public (13%). Most used Twitter (67%) and smartphones (89%) to access and view infographics, and thought infographics were useful tools to communicate research (92%) and increase the attention research receives (95%). Although most participants were somewhat/extremely likely (76%) to read the full-text article after viewing an infographic, some used infographics as a substitute for the full text at least half of the time (41%), thought infographics should be detailed enough so they do not have to read the full text (55%), and viewed infographics as tools to reduce the time burden of reading the full text (64%). Researchers/academics were less likely to report behaviours/beliefs suggesting infographics can reduce the need to read the full-text article. Conclusions Given many people use infographics as a substitute for reading the full-text article and want infographics to be detailed enough so they don’t have to read the full text, a checklist to facilitate clear, transparent, and sufficiently detailed infographics summarising some types of health and medical research may be useful. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T21:04:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-db5485607e244f8e9d01944ddc3300c1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6920 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T21:04:14Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-db5485607e244f8e9d01944ddc3300c12022-12-22T03:16:45ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202022-09-012211910.1186/s12909-022-03744-6How do people use and view infographics that summarise health and medical research? A cross-sectional surveyJoshua R. Zadro0Giovanni E. Ferreira1Mary O’Keeffe2Will Stahl-Timmins3Mark R. Elkins4Christopher G. Maher5Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health DistrictInstitute for Musculoskeletal Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health DistrictInstitute for Musculoskeletal Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health DistrictData Graphics Designer, The BMJFaculty of Medicine & Health, The University of SydneyInstitute for Musculoskeletal Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health DistrictAbstract Background Understanding how people use infographics and their opinion on them has important implications for the design of infographics but has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to describe people’s use of and opinions about infographics summarising health and medical research, preferences for information to include in infographics, and barriers to reading full-text articles. Methods We conducted an online cross-sectional survey of consumers of infographics that summarise health or medical research. Demographic and outcome data were collected and summarised using descriptive statistics. A sensitivity analysis explored whether being a researcher/academic influenced the findings. Results Two hundred fifty-four participants completed the survey (88% completion rate). Participants included health professionals (66%), researchers (34%), academics (24%), and patients/the public (13%). Most used Twitter (67%) and smartphones (89%) to access and view infographics, and thought infographics were useful tools to communicate research (92%) and increase the attention research receives (95%). Although most participants were somewhat/extremely likely (76%) to read the full-text article after viewing an infographic, some used infographics as a substitute for the full text at least half of the time (41%), thought infographics should be detailed enough so they do not have to read the full text (55%), and viewed infographics as tools to reduce the time burden of reading the full text (64%). Researchers/academics were less likely to report behaviours/beliefs suggesting infographics can reduce the need to read the full-text article. Conclusions Given many people use infographics as a substitute for reading the full-text article and want infographics to be detailed enough so they don’t have to read the full text, a checklist to facilitate clear, transparent, and sufficiently detailed infographics summarising some types of health and medical research may be useful.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03744-6InfographicsVisual abstractGraphical abstractHealthMedicineCross-sectional |
| spellingShingle | Joshua R. Zadro Giovanni E. Ferreira Mary O’Keeffe Will Stahl-Timmins Mark R. Elkins Christopher G. Maher How do people use and view infographics that summarise health and medical research? A cross-sectional survey BMC Medical Education Infographics Visual abstract Graphical abstract Health Medicine Cross-sectional |
| title | How do people use and view infographics that summarise health and medical research? A cross-sectional survey |
| title_full | How do people use and view infographics that summarise health and medical research? A cross-sectional survey |
| title_fullStr | How do people use and view infographics that summarise health and medical research? A cross-sectional survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | How do people use and view infographics that summarise health and medical research? A cross-sectional survey |
| title_short | How do people use and view infographics that summarise health and medical research? A cross-sectional survey |
| title_sort | how do people use and view infographics that summarise health and medical research a cross sectional survey |
| topic | Infographics Visual abstract Graphical abstract Health Medicine Cross-sectional |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03744-6 |
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