History
In 1995, at Imperial College, London, Stefan Büchi discovered that his PRISM-using patients talked about their complex life stories after only five minutes of instructions.
Japanese Translation: 歴史
Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self Measure: PRISM
At the beginning of the 1990s, Stefan Büchi worked as part of a research project at Imperial College, London. He wanted to get a better understanding of the process of change in patients with a chronic illness. He trialled new questionnaires and interview techniques. When he got stuck, he looked for other approaches. He suddenly had the idea, that the simple pictorial representation of people and their illnesses could be pursued. The first patients reacted very positively to his work with coloured disks on a white background.
In association with Professor Tom Sensky, the prototype of a visual tool called Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self Measure (PRISM) was developed. He made an amazing discovery with the application: after only five minutes of instructions, his PRISM-using patients would quickly talk about their complex life stories.
Since then, this tool has been researched and featured in more than 50 publications. It has been continuously refined and studied in association with experts from various disciplines. Hundreds of patients around the world are today able to collect, structure and communicate their thoughts in a way not seen before. This method has really helped them.
The 1995 PRISM prototype
