Medical comics help patients better understand procedures, associated risks

EXCERPT FROM "PATIENT INFORMED CONSENT," A MEDICAL COMIC BOOK. (A. BRAND, V. STANGL, L. GAO, A. HAMANN, S. MARTINECK @ CHARITÉ 2016)

A new study suggests that delivering information about medical procedures and risk — which can often overwhelm patients — in the form of a graphic novel can help improve comprehension about standard medical disclosures. Patients who were about to undergo a cardiac catheterization received informed consent information either through the usual forms or through a graphic novel. Those who received the book scored, on average, two points higher on a 13-point test of details about the procedure. Although the two groups exhibited the same level of pre-procedure anxiety, those who received the graphic novel reported feeling well prepared for the procedure more than those who received the standard forms.