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NCT Number: NCT06435806

Medical Illustration Design Characteristic Evaluation

The goal of this study is to understand what people understand from medical illustrations, and what meaning and emotions (such as anxiety) they derive from different design elements.

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Key information

Conditions

Healthy

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States

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About this study

The investigators will conduct cognitive interviews to understand the meaning laypersons obtain from different illustrations, their opinions on illustration styles, and their level of anxiety after viewing illustrations.

The investigators will also study the effect of systematically varying medical illustration designs on layperson understanding and anxiety.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Over 18 years old
  • Speaks English or Spanish fluently
  • Is able to independently consent
  • Has adequate corrected vision to read patient education documents

Exclusion criteria

  • None

Treatment and study plan

Medical Illustration design

Other

We will test 10 binary design variants for medical illustrations (for example, with and without cut-away, with and without text labels, etc). Specific variants to be identified during first task of project.

Primary outcomes

  1. Knowledge

    Time frame: Baseline and 30 minutes

    A multiple-item knowledge test designed to test comprehension of the patient education document

  2. State Anxiety scale from State-Trait Anxiety Inventory

    Time frame: 30 minutes

    Self-report state anxiety scale from the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. 20 items, 4-point Likert scale. A higher score indicates more severe anxiety with a potential range from 20 to 80.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Satisfaction with the medical illustration

    Time frame: 30 minutes

    Likert items to assess satisfaction with the document and illustration

  2. Reading Effort

    Time frame: 30 minutes

    Likert items to assess perceived effort in reading a document and illustration

  3. Acceptability

    Time frame: 30 minutes

    Likert items to assess acceptability and appropriateness of the illustration

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Timothy Bickmore, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

6173735477

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Northeastern University

Other

Collaborators

  • Boston University
  • Tufts Medical Center

Registry information

Official study title

Advancing Medical Illustration in Patient Education Materials: From Art to Science. Study 1: Medical Illustration Design Characteristic Evaluation

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2027
First posted
May 30, 2024
Registry last updated
Aug 3, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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