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What is good quality information and how to assess and assure it
Section one:
- Organising information
- A patient and carer information strategy
- What is good quality information and how to assess and assure it
There is a huge amount of information available on a wide range of issues relating to people affected by neurological conditions. It can be very confusing for both service users and health professionals to sort out what information they should trust and use from all that can be available.
In many ways what defines “good” information will be subjective. For some people information that provides a lot of detail with research references would be good information and appropriate to their needs, for others “good” information would be that which gives them clear simple messages about how to manage their condition and when to seek help. Some information materials focus more on telling people what health professionals have decided patients should know and others are focused more on addressing the concerns that people affected by neurological conditions have. Ideally a balance will be struck between these two perspectives, but the assessment of where the right balance is will vary depending on who is doing the assessment.
When thinking about the quality of information it is important to assess three areas:
A number of tools exist for assessing the accessibility, usability and reliability of information. These have been gathered together on the Patient Information Forum website under Evaluating the quality of health information where there are also top tips and background references about evaluating information.
The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) have produced guidelines on making information accessible, particularly for people with a sight problem.
Mencap have produced Make it clear, guidelines on accessible writing, designed for communicating with people who have learning difficulties, but very useful for a general audience too.
The Information Standard is a scheme set up by the Department of Health. At the heart of the scheme is the ‘standard’ itself – the stringent criteria that define good quality health or social care information and the methods needed to produce it. Organisations which meet the 'standard' - of which the Brain and Spine Foundation is one - are then entitled to use the quality mark - a recognisable symbol of quality and assurance.
In many ways what defines “good” information will be subjective. For some people information that provides a lot of detail with research references would be good information and appropriate to their needs, for others “good” information would be that which gives them clear simple messages about how to manage their condition and when to seek help. Some information materials focus more on telling people what health professionals have decided patients should know and others are focused more on addressing the concerns that people affected by neurological conditions have. Ideally a balance will be struck between these two perspectives, but the assessment of where the right balance is will vary depending on who is doing the assessment.
When thinking about the quality of information it is important to assess three areas:
Accessibility
- Can your audience access your information?
- Is it delivered in the right medium and in the right format? If it's web-based information does it use standardised data formatting, metadata and the appropriate coding methods? Also, don't forget the specific requirements of your audience (e.g. language, disabilities – see more detailed guidance in Section Three).
Usability
- Is your information designed and structured in such a way that the user can get what they want from it?
- Is it produced in a clear and consistent format?
- Does your website make it easy to browse and search to find answers?
- Is your site engaging and user-friendly?
Reliability
- Is your information based on the best available evidence that exists?
- How did you search for, critically appraise, synthesize and summarise this evidence to produce your information?
- Is the information presented in a balanced, unbiased way, mentioning all treatment options, benefits and risks?
- Did you consult experts and how many reviewed the text?
A number of tools exist for assessing the accessibility, usability and reliability of information. These have been gathered together on the Patient Information Forum website under Evaluating the quality of health information where there are also top tips and background references about evaluating information.
The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) have produced guidelines on making information accessible, particularly for people with a sight problem.
Mencap have produced Make it clear, guidelines on accessible writing, designed for communicating with people who have learning difficulties, but very useful for a general audience too.
The Information Standard is a scheme set up by the Department of Health. At the heart of the scheme is the ‘standard’ itself – the stringent criteria that define good quality health or social care information and the methods needed to produce it. Organisations which meet the 'standard' - of which the Brain and Spine Foundation is one - are then entitled to use the quality mark - a recognisable symbol of quality and assurance.
