33119 Utilizing Comics in Healthcare Environments

Course overview

Discusses utilizing comics in healthcare environments, including the benefits of comics in healthcare education, Gardners theory of multiple intelligences, study conclusions related to the use of comics in hospital patient discharge education, and how comics can make discussions of medical conditions more effective. Utilizing comics in healthcare can play an important role in patient care and education. Graphic stories can help to educate the public and improve patient care regarding issues such as substance abuse disorders, diabetes, and mental illness. Utilizing graphics or comics can be particularly effective when used in patient education, as patients and families may be able to better understand what to expect from a specific disease when visual aids are used. When pictures and text are combined, different information processing systems in the brain are activated, improving understanding of a concept. Despite the benefits of utilizing comics in healthcare, many challenges also exist, such as eliminating physician and patient bias against the use of graphics, and ensuring that the graphic is not used as a substitute for conversation and a caring relationship between the patient and provider. This program discusses utilization of graphics and comics in healthcare environments, including benefits, and how they can be incorporated into patient care environments.