Healthwatch launches accessible information campaign
Healthwatch has launched a campaign to help make sure more people get healthcare information in the way they need it.
Your Care, Your Way has three main aims:
- Find out how well health and care services are delivering the Accessible Information Standard
- Make sure those covered by the standard know their rights
- Find out who else has problems understanding information and needs to be covered by the standard
Healthwatch reviewed 6,200 people's experiences of accessible healthcare information.
It found, while some people experience good communications support from services, many more do not.
Issues were often caused because of a lack of awareness of what patients should expect.
Of 139 NHS organisations who responded to questions, only a third fully met the Standard.
Find out more, access resources and join the campaign via the link below.
Barriers deaf and disabled people face to service user involvement
A report by Shaping Our Lives explores people's experiences of service user involvement.
The user-led research explores the barriers deaf and disabled people face when wanting to share their lived experience.
When asked what was important for them to be able to take part in involvement activities, 65% of people said they needed access and support requirements organised in advance.
This rose to 100% among respondents to the BSL survey.
The report contains recommendations for those who want to run inclusive, meaningful involvement activities.
Study: Effects of website traits and medical scepticism on willingness to follow online advice
A new study evaluates how website traits affect the likelihood that patients follow web-based medical advice and how this varies among patients with differing levels of medical scepticism.
Its findings suggest physician authorship and an objective tone create more persuasive web-based medical advice.
However, there are differences in how patients with high levels of medical scepticism react to web-based medical resources.
Medical sceptics are less discerning regarding the author’s credentials and the presentation tone of the information.
Patients with higher levels of medical scepticism prefer article format presentations.
Those with lower levels of medical scepticism prefer discussion forum-style formatting.
Consultation: NICE guidance on prostate cancer diagnosis
A new NICE draft guideline recommends four new diagnostic devices for men with suspected prostate cancer that reduce the chances of biopsy-related sepsis.
These are freehand needle positioning devices used to perform local anaesthetic transperineal (LATP) prostate biopsy.
A consultation is open to stakeholders until Tuesday 8 March.
Involving young people with severe communication disabilities in developing health materials
A new paper outlines how an Involvement Matrix was used to involve young people with severe communication disabilities in developing health education materials.
The Involvement Matrix provided a structure resulting in four involvement roles over three research phases.
In Phase 1, young people were listeners to research information and advisors in the needs analysis.
In Phase 2, as advisors and decision-makers, they provided their opinions on selecting picture communication symbols for health materials.
In Phase 3, as partners, they were co-presenters at an online youth forum.
New taskforce to tackle maternity disparities
A new Maternity Disparities Taskforce has been announced by the UK Government.
The taskforce will aim to tackle disparities in maternity care experienced by women from ethnic minority groups and those living in deprived areas.
According to Government figures, the stillbirth rate has reduced by more than 25% since 2010.
However, disparities still remain.
For example, Birmingham is one of the most deprived areas of the country and has the highest rates of neonatal mortality and stillbirths at 11.4 per 1,000.
Online platform to 'empower' patients waiting for care
A new online platform for patients waiting for care has been launched by NHS England.
Built in conjunction with patient groups, My Planned Care will allow patients and their carers to access information ahead of a planned appointment, operation or treatment.
In the first stage, around 5.5 million patients will be able to search to find the average waiting time for their treatment area at their local hospital.
In the coming months, the platform will be expanded to include personalised information and support to help patients stay well while they wait, including advice on how best to manage symptoms.
Updates to managing COVID-19 guideline
PIF member NICE has updated its managing COVID-19 guideline.
A new recommendation has been added on neutralising monoclonal antibodies for people with COVID-19 who are not in hospital.
Click on the link below to go direct to the update.
Event: Ramadan and diabetes
An online event is being held to help people with diabetes stay healthy during Ramadan.
The free course on Thursday, 17 March, is suitable for those living with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, carers and healthcare professionals.
There will be a live Q&A with clinical experts. The course will also be available in Arabic and Malay.
Click on the link below to register or signpost to your networks.