Output details

Visualizing the Invisible: Applying an Arts-based Methodology to Explore How Healthcare Workers and Patient Representatives Envisage Pathogens in the Context of Healthcare Associated Infections

How do healthcare staff visualise the invisible pathogens which are responsible for healthcare associated infections? Two workshops were held to explore the perceptions by hospital staff of what ‘invisible’ pathogens are, their characteristics, and how they exist and behave in the ward setting. Twelve hospital-based healthcare workers participated in the workshops, which combined a diverse range of qualitative methods: visual mapping of perceived risk on images of a ward; a making activity where a range of materials were provided for the participant to physically represent their perception of pathogens; and in-depth interviews. The qualitative workshop data on perceived characteristics of pathogens were combined with quantitative research data on how pathogens are spread through touch to produce a suite of novel 3D visualisations. Healthcare associated infections (HAIs) caused by pathogens such as MRSA, Norovirus, and Clostridium Difficile are a substantial problem in developed and developing countries around the world, and within the NHS. A central challenge underlying all attempts to explain and instruct in these areas is that the pathogens responsible for HAIs are invisible to the naked eye. The Visinvis project investigated ways of making pathogens ‘visible’ in the context of the hospital ward in a multidisciplinary collaboration. The output presents a novel approach to the problem, using a mix of disciplinary approaches from design, art, nursing and microbiology, and informed the development of prototype visualisations with potential applications in staff training.

The work was supported by funding from The Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Scottish Funding Council as part of the Healthier Scotland initiative. The AHRC produced a short film at the end of the project to disseminate the work, which can be viewed at http://www.visinvis.org/project-outputs.

Visinvis website http://www.visinvis.org