The following is a summary of “Participatory design of an infographic to help support the care of people living with complex regional pain syndrome,” published in the July 2023 issue of Pain by Beales et al.
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a disabling pain condition that can significantly impact physical, psychological, and social functioning. It is often poorly understood by healthcare professionals, and management needs to be tailored to each individual’s presentation. Researchers performed a retrospective study to co-create a trustworthy infographic about the lived experience of CRPS.
They employed a seven-phase, iterative, participatory approach to co-create the infographic, drawing potential content from qualitative research on CRPS lived experiences. Online engagement with consumers (individuals with doctor-diagnosed CRPS or their families, n=20) was used to prioritize infographic content. Two designs were selected by the research team, and consumers made the final choice (n=25), followed by further refinement (n=34).
The results showed that the completed CRPS lived experience infographic, developed through participatory design, was a valuable resource tailored to the needs of those with the condition. The final infographic scored 92% for understandability and had a 93% willingness among participants to share it with others, as per the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool.
They concluded that participatory design created a trustworthy infographic for people with CRPS and their support people.
Source: journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20494637231190587
