This long-form patient education comic is designed for expectant mothers, weaving together a personal narrative with crucial medical information. The story follows a pregnant woman’s harrowing experience with a misdiagnosed ruptured appendix, emphasizing the challenges, frustrations, and fears she faces throughout the process.

Utilizing the graphic medicine format, this comic effectively combines a compelling personal story with vital educational content. The visual narrative approach makes the complex topic of appendicitis during pregnancy more accessible and engaging for a diverse readership. By employing visuals and limited narration, the comic emphasizes the emotional journey of the patient, fostering empathy in readers.

The Graphic Medicine Community did a spotlight on the comic on  here

The project began with in-depth interviews of two women who experienced ruptured appendices during pregnancy, both of whom were initially misdiagnosed. This primary research provided valuable firsthand accounts and emotional context. Following the interviews, I conducted an environmental search summary and created user personas and empathy maps.

I then moved on to conduct extensive research using the UBC and other library databases to review multiple case studies of similar incidents.

This comprehensive approach allowed me to gain crucial insights into:

1. Reasons for misdiagnosis
2. Common complications
3. Potential preventive measures
4. Problem Identification and Solution Development

Based on the gathered information, I identified key issues and began formulating solutions. This led to the design and planning phase of the graphic medicine comic.

Design Process:

1. Initial Sketching
2. Narrative Refinement
3. Incorporated overlapping elements from multiple case studies
4. Final Adjustments

This meticulous research and planning process ensured that the final graphic medicine comic would be both emotionally resonant and medically accurate, effectively communicating the complexities of appendicitis during pregnancy to a broad audience.

I started with a quick, rough thumbnail storyboard of the events from my first interview, just getting a crack at the idea of events unfolding. This was a very rough speed exercise that would kick off many thumbnail drafts and iterations before the final product was completed. Multiple revisions and refinements were made before the final rendered comic was finished.

After refining the prototype with the selected layouts I rendered each panel/page using CLIP STUDIO PAINT. I opted to do a black and white ink style comic and focused on the images and values to set the mood and emotion. This software was used for creating line work and values. I created the font from my own writing and imported into CSP.

The comic explores several key aspects:

1. The potential for misdiagnosis of appendicitis during pregnancy
2. Reasons behind misdiagnosis and its consequences
3. Complications arising from a ruptured appendix

By presenting this sensitive topic in a visually engaging format, the comic aims to educate and empower expectant mothers, potentially improving patient outcomes through increased awareness and understanding of this serious medical condition

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