The use of visual images to convey complex messages in health settings: Stakeholder perspectives

ABSTRACT

Visual tools are increasingly used in healthcare settings to improve the quality of care provided. While there are a number of tools and frameworks that focus on how to create effective visual tools, there has been little evaluation of their perceived efficacy. This paper presents findings from a project that sought to evaluate the use of visual images to convey quality improvement messages to healthcare professionals. The research setting was a UK Clinical Commissioning Group, however, the findings are readily translatable to other healthcare environments. The study employed a practice approach based predicated on a social constructionist standpoint. Semi-structured interviews with 26 healthcare professionals and participant observation were used to garner user perspectives. Here we present and discuss a thematic analysis of the interview talk, focusing on four emergent themes: design; facilitated insight; data density; and co-creation. From this, we draw two positive conclusions, first that the visual communication of complex messages to healthcare professionals can provide an efficient and effective mode of communication, and second that co-creation and inclusivity are key to success.

KEYWORDS:

• Visual communication
• healthcare management
• change
• complexity
• healthcare

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Correction

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article was originally published with errors, which have now been corrected in the online version. Please see Correction (http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20479700.2020.1763016)

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Victoria Cluley

Dr Victoria Cluley is a Post-doctoral research fellow at Cass Business School, City, University of London with Professor Zoe Radnor. Victoria's research interest is experiences of health and illness, focusing on healthcare and public service experiences. She has led research projects in a number of health settings including local authorities, hospitals, clinical commissioning groups and voluntary organisations. Victoria has published a number of articles and has presented at national and international conferences to diverse audiences. Victoria is also interested in participatory arts based methods and the accessible dissemination of research findings.

Nicola Bateman

Dr Nicola Bateman is Associate Professor in Operations Management at The School of Business, University of Leicester. Nicola has a background in industry, particularly the application of continuous improvement but not focuses on researching the use of visual management practices to aid continuous improvement in public service settings. Nicola has lead a number of research projects in public service settings and has published widely.

Zoe Radnor

Professor Zoe Radnor is Vice President (Strategy and Planning) at City, University of London where she leads on not only the University's Strategy and Planning processes but also the Equality and Diversity agenda. She is also Professor of Service Operations Management at Cass Business School. Zoe's research interest is in performance and process improvement and service management within public sector organisations. She has led research projects for a number of Government and healthcare organisations, evaluating the use of ‘lean’ and associated techniques and continues to maintain a strong ongoing research profile. Zoe is a Fellow of the British Academy of Management (FBAM) and the Academy of Social Science (FAcSS). She has published over 100 articles, papers, chapters and reports and has presented widely, nationally and internationally, to academic, governmental and practitioner audiences.