Abstract
Since 2016, Take Home Naloxone programs have become an essential component of Canada’s response to the national opioid crisis. Through these programs, naloxone - a life-saving opioid agonist medication - is distributed to citizens by regional health authorities, pharmacists, and harm reduction agencies across Canada. While increased access to these kits have been widely successful in reducing fatal opioid poisonings, the efficacy of this intervention is dependent upon the legibility and usability of the contents of the kits. Sets of visual instructions included in the kits vary widely in terms of information sequencing, hierarchy, legibility, requisite reading level. The sets of instructions included in these kits are typically produced by healthcare professionals with little to no training in visual communication. By attending to the visual information included in the kits, these instructions can be designed to save lives. Following a review of literature in participatory design, health literacy, and emergency communication, we identify a set of design criteria for visual instructions. Using these criteria, we conduct visual analysis of twelve sets of Take Home Naloxone kit instructions in use across Canada. From this analysis, we propose a framework for visual infrastructure in emergency health communications. The implications of this research are broad from an academic to a social audience. This work enriches public discourse, cultural outcomes, and educational outcomes. The framework applies to the development of other emergency instructions and contributes to discussions related to public health, representation, and stigma.
Presenters
Gillian HarveyAssociate Professor, Art and Design, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Information Design, Visual Communication Design, Health, Visual Analysis
