Background: Patient Information materials are used by healthcare providers and professionals to inform people about their conditions and help the patients make decisions.

Methods: The aim of this project was to design a patient information leaflet to educate patients with chronic pain and low literacy skills understand their condition and make informed decisions. After a number of iterative trials an affective/effective patient information leaflet (PIL) was designed employing a visual metaphor, which was both affective and effective to encourage patients to understand and take their medication correctly. The PIL was evaluated among both healthcare professionals and patients. The healthcare professionals evaluated the clarity of information the PIL is conveying. Patients also evaluated the readability and comprehension of the information the PIL is conveying.

Results: The data suggests that with the inclusion of the right visual metaphor the patients were able to identify with it and that encouraged them to read the PIL and adhere to the treatment therapy.

Conclusion: Using visual metaphors to facilitate healthcare communication to low-literacy patients may aid adherence.