Clarity and impact are everything in medical communications (MedComms). Whether you’re crafting a compelling narrative or designing a data-rich graphic, understanding how people process information is key. One powerful concept that bridges both verbal and visual communication is heuristics: the mental shortcuts we use to quickly make sense of complex information.
What are heuristics and why do they matter in MedComms?
Heuristics are cognitive tools that help us navigate information efficiently. While they can introduce bias, they also offer a strategic advantage when used thoughtfully. In medical communications, heuristics can help shape messages that are not only accurate but also memorable and persuasive.
From storytelling to data visualization, heuristics influence how audiences interpret and engage with content. Recognizing their role allows communicators to design with empathy, precision, and purpose.
Written communication: Crafting messages that stick
Scientific and medical communicators often deal with nuanced clinical data and regulatory constraints. To ensure messages resonate:
- Start with the most important data point to anchor attention.
- Use storytelling to tap into familiar cognitive patterns.
- Incorporate relatable case studies or patient stories to evoke emotional engagement.
- Anticipate misconceptions and address them with balanced, transparent evidence.
- Use emotionally resonant language and imagery, without exaggerating risks or benefits.
By aligning content with how people naturally think and feel, we foster trust and understanding across diverse audiences.
Visual communication: Designing graphics that guide and inform
Graphics are indispensable in medical communications, but their effectiveness hinges on how they’re interpreted. Heuristics shape visual perception just as they do verbal understanding. To design responsibly:
- Reflect on design choices – are colours, symbols, and layouts chosen for clarity or convenience?
- Prioritise data accuracy over aesthetics to avoid misleading impressions.
- Test graphics with diverse audiences to uncover potential misinterpretations.
- Use consistent and transparent scaling to prevent anchoring or framing bias.
- Present balanced data to show both efficacy and safety, for example.
- Educate viewers with brief explanations to help them recognise their own cognitive shortcuts.
Thoughtful visual design can enhance comprehension, support clinical decision-making, and improve public health outcomes.
Supplementary reading
For those interested in deepening their understanding of heuristics in communication, explore:
- Heuristics in Clinical Decision Making
- Ten Simple Rules for Better Figures
- Cognitive Biases Overview
- A Common Heuristic in Medicine: Anchoring
- Heuristics – Everything You Need to Know
- Simplified: Jakob Nielsen’s 10 usability heuristics
- Using Heuristic Evaluation to Enhance the Visual Display of a Provider
- Dashboard for Patient-Reported Outcomes
- Heuristics for better figures
By harnessing heuristics in both words and visuals, we can elevate the effectiveness of medical communications and create content that truly connects.
Disclaimer: This article was generated with the assistance of Microsoft Copilot with human supervision.
Gillian Patman
Associate Scientific Director
Courtney Bologna
Principal Medical Writer