O que eles falam, e o que nós entendemos: pictogramas de informação médica

Abstract

Adherence to drug treatments is fundamental in health care. This greater adherence can be achieved when the information has been passed on properly, and when the patient has knowledge about his health situation, with the minimum skills in dealing with the products, and has the necessary resources to follow up on the medical procedures. Only then, with understandable and customized health information for the various publics, will the appropriate treatment be given, successfully, involving health professionals and the patient. On the other hand, adherence can be compromised if the patient has low functional and/or health literacy. Thus, pictograms enter this context, associating images with concepts, and can be understood as public utility communication tools, which transmit information clearly, and reminders, overcoming the difficulties of technical understanding. They are drawings that facilitate the understanding of a written message or information. The main objective, is intended to show the public the relevance of using health pictograms in the transmission of information, as a strategy in the process of understanding medical information for people with low literacy. As for the methodology, it is research based on a literature review, exploratory, bibliographical, and qualitative, where content analysis was used to annualize the collected data. Results and discussion: the use of pictograms with low-literacy people facilitates communication and absorption of technical health information. It is concluded, therefore, that although some people are not familiar with pictogram images, the use of graphic artifacts facilitates the understanding and correct use of drugs, with significant improvement in terms of correct clinical treatment.