Graphic Medicine

Goals

The goal of this course is to explore the intersections of health, storytelling, and visual communication. Collaborative projects might include comics, exhibitions, apps, and other creative projects meant to help make medical information more accessible and appealing to broad audiences. We will work with hospitals, clinics, and other medical professionals as partners.

Issues Involved or Addressed

Graphic medicine is a growing field that focuses on how visual communication can be used for public health purposes. Medical professionals and public health organizations have started using comics to communicate with stakeholders because the form’s storytelling capabilities encourage empathy. Research has shown that patients and caregivers are more likely to pay attention to and understand information presented as a comic, rather than as an informational pamphlet. Additionally, visual storytelling and production offers opportunities to speak across language barriers, making graphic medicine a useful approach in multilingual contexts. On this team, we will create research-based comics and other projects meant to help medical information reach broader audiences. You might gain experience in:
-Analyzing published works of graphic medicine as models
-Practicing visual communication
-Researching medical conditions, treatments, and patient experiences
-Storytelling
-Conducting interviews
-Designing and executing usability studies
-Designing exhibitions
-Planning and marketing events
-Navigating the IRB approval process

Partners/Sponsors

Shepherd Spinal Center