Example quotes for the five most commonly reported themes related to the audience’s expectations (prior to viewing the artwork) and perceptions (after viewing the artwork)
| Theme | Example |
| Expectations before viewing | |
| Increased understanding | ‘to learn something new’, ‘increased understanding and awareness’, ‘learning about the heart’ |
| Patient experience, empathy, connection | ‘to get an insight into patient’s mindset’, ‘human story’, ‘voices of patients’, ‘insight into patients' response’ |
| Surprise and discovery | ‘joy of discovery’, ‘the unexpected’, ‘to be surprised’ |
| Insight into cardiovascular disease, medicine | ‘clogged arteries’, ‘heartbeat’, ‘fibrillation’, ‘the clinical gaze’ |
| Inspiration and enjoyment | ‘inspired’, ‘to be thought provoked’, ‘stimulation’, ‘shift my views’ |
| Perceptions after viewing | |
| Emotion, connectedness, empathy | ‘direct connection to [the] mother’s experience’, ‘human’, ‘feel it at an emotional level—especially the voice of the mother’ |
| Excitement, surprise, awe | ‘amazing’, ‘awe-inspiring’, ‘exciting’ |
| Insight and interest | ‘a real insight into [the] heart’, ‘stimulating’, ‘informative’, ‘in a new landscape—curious’ |
| Beauty, preciousness, poetry | ‘precious’, ‘beauty’, ‘poetic’, ‘poetry’ |
| Medical, educational | ‘healthcare surrounding’, ‘big space in the chest’, ‘makes you think how reliant we are on our bodies’, ‘terminology’ |