Graphic medicine as a medium to convey information about the opioid epidemic and drug supply
Background: Substance use disorders (SUDs) continue to be a public health emergency in the United States, with over 100,000 drug overdose deaths annually. Effective communication is critical for conveying harm reduction messaging and health information to people who use drugs (PWUDs). Such communication must be clear, factually accurate, actionable, and perceived as credible by the target population. The role of graphic medicine – a teaching tool using a comic medium to further the discourse of healthcare and promote healthy behaviors – may help to bridge gaps in the issues with expanding access to accurate information and evidence-based risk reduction practices by centering the experiences of PWUD through an accessible and engaging comic book style lens. Graphic medicine in the medium of a comic book is well-suited to visually explain complex processes and harness narratives to facilitate behavioral change.
Methods: This presentation will describe findings from formative research to design and develop health information for PWUD using graphic medicine. The project partners researchers with visual artists to develop graphic medicine resources with input from the PWUD target population. Research methods include two sets of focus groups with PWUD adults with the aim to: (1) aid in template development of the graphic medicine novel, and (2) refine and finalize the comic for distribution.
Results: Data collection and refinement is planned for Spring 2024 and will focus on accessibility and acceptability of the information conveyed in the graphic medicine comic. Informational topics will include: (1) basic facts about the different drug subtypes most commonly found in the local community (e.g., fentanyl is an opioid, methamphetamines are stimulants), (2) accurate information about the risks and mechanics of overdose, (3) easy-to-follow instructions on how to reverse an opioid overdose (naloxone, rescue breathing), and (4) overview of harm reduction services and where to find them locally (e.g., different types and formulations of medications for opioid use disorder, syringe exchange, fatal overdose prevention resources).
Conclusion: This presentation will highlight the formative research process to develop the graphic medicine comic resources and present prototype materials developed in collaboration with local artists and PWUD stakeholders to create a graphic medicine comic.
