Know Your Audience: Comprehension of Health Information Varies by Visual Format

Abstract

Patient-reported outcomes provide key information about a patient’s health status and are increasingly being integrated into electronic health records as a means of engaging patients in their own care. However, there is a lack of research on how to effectively return this information in a clear and comprehensible way to a wide audience. We conducted a national survey, testing various formats of health information visualizations, and found that overall comprehension is high across all formats, particularly among line graphs, with variations based on literacy and numeracy. This study reinforces the importance of testing various formats among target populations when returning key health information to patients.