Scottish Government

Draft Guide to the Production and Provision of Information about Health and Healthcare Interventions

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Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction
Why is health information important?
Why do people need health information about health and healthcare
interventions?
How can information help?
What is the guide for?
How can the guide help you?
How comprehensive is the guide?
PART 1
Section 1 - What makes good quality health information?
A clear statement of aims
Relevance
Accuracy
Accessibility, comprehensibility and acceptability
Information for patient-focused health services
Fitness for purpose
Help to identify further information and support
Help to judge the quality of information
Section 2 - What makes for good quality information provision?
Information provision
Managing your information
PART 2
Section 3 - Producing good quality patient information materials
Before you commit yourself
Initial thoughts
What are you thinking of producing?
Do people require the kind of material you envisage?
Does a suitable package already exist?
Do you have the necessary skills and resources?
Choosing to proceed
An overview of the production process
Section 4 - Informing the content of information materials
What do people want to know?
What do people already know and believe?
What information is currently given to people?
Section 5 - Finding the different types of information you need
Research evidence about people's experiences, and views of health
and healthcare interventions
Research evidence about health conditions and healthcare interventions
Relevant guidelines, standards and policies
Information about patterns of practice
Health coverage in the popular media
Voluntary organisations
Members of your intended audience
Identifying and approaching people
Discussion techniques
Healthcare professionals
Section 6 - Producing a first draft
A clear statement of aims
Information about further sources of support and help
Issues relating to language
Communicating probabilities
Making information accessible to people
Communicating research about the effects of healthcare interventions
Interventions not available
Section 7 - Eliciting and incorporating feedback on drafts
Whose opinions should be sought?
How should opinions be sought?
How should feedback be handled and used?
Section 8 - Post-distribution reviewing and updating of information materials
Section 9 - Useful references and organisations