www.pifonline.org.uk

2009 - 2010

Patient Information Forum(PiF) Overview

Information: first line therapy?

Source: Salford’s Primary Care Commissioning Strategy 2007/08 – 2017/18

Consumer Health Information

Challenges:• Not recognised as a ‘therapy’• Lack of evidence around effectiveness• Lack of quality standards • Too much duplication• Focus on provision not health outcomes• Expertise required mainly unrecognised• Disparate workforce across many sectors

Patient Information Forum

• Support network for consumer health information (CHI) professionals

MissionTo raise the profile and professionalism of

consumer health information

MissionTo raise the profile and professionalism of

consumer health information

• Established via King’s Fund in 1997• Funding: membership, events & partners

Key Objectives

1. Lobbying- raising the profile of consumer health information

2. Networking- sharing good practice to maximise impact

3. Learning- providing opportunities for skills

& career development

Values

• Patient-focused

• Improving patient experience

• Sharing

• Access for all

• Independent

• Continuous learning

Membership

750 members, primarily in the UK

• NHS Trusts, NHS Direct, NHS Direct Wales, NHS24, MHRA, NICE, Picker, UK National Screening Committee (55%)

• Commercial - BUPA, Lloydspharmacy, Pfizer (20%)

• ‘Patient’ groups - Diabetes UK, Macmillan, MIND, Which?, ConsumerFocus Scotland (20%)

• Academic - London School of Economics (2%)

• Professional - Royal Colleges, General Medical Council, and Other e.g. BBC (3%)

PiF Management Structure

Stratey GroupGovernance and strategy

Operations BoardImplementation

Advisory Group

Expert advice

Working GroupsTraining, publications, events, campaigns

• Influencing policy– DH Information Accreditation

Scheme

– Healthcare Commission Annual Health Check

– Scottish Government Health Department NHS Health Information Support Service

• Thought pieces– ‘Information as a therapy’

• Profiling CHI– Presentations

– Articles

Lobbying

• ‘PiF Aware’– Friday email to c.4,000 people

• Website- 100,000 hits/ eCommunity

• Conferences

• Workshops – ‘improving’ a common theme

together

• President’s Dinner– Annual CEO event

Networking

• Training– Two modules developed for

pharmacos.– ‘Introduction to CHI’ course in

development

• ‘PiF Query’– Q&A service

Learning•Promoting excellence

- BUPA Foundation Communication award- BMA Patient Information awards

•Guidance– DH Patient Information Toolkit– King’s Fund ‘Producing Patient Information’– CHI Tool development: EQIP, JudgeHealth

Benefits • Membership of the UK's largest network of CHI professionals

• An e-community which allows you to share your expertise and support each other

• Regional co-ordinators in your part of the country who can help you network in your local area

• Regular opportunities to contribute to national and local policy

• ‘PiF Query’ provides the opportunity for members to share expertise and direct each other to the resources and people to improve your project

• Website pages managed and populated by people who are leaders in their health information fields

• Job ads for health information roles across all sectors

• Featured articles and top tips on the web site to help you develop practical expertise in selected topic areas

• An annual conference on current topics in consumer health information with workshops presentation and time to network with your peers

• Regular one day events and workshops on specific topic areas

• ‘PiF Aware’ newsletter every Friday with the week’s top health information news, research and good practice

• Special email alerts telling you about forthcoming meetings, conferences and consultations

• Reduced rate subscriptions to top journals and books on CHI

Being supported and sharing your skills

Maintaining and building your expertise

Keeping up to date

What could you do now?

• Join – www.pifonline.org.uk/join • Spread the word!• Actively support our work e.g. funding• Attend and contribute to PiF events• Submit relevant work to [PiF aware] • Use PiF members as a sounding board • Co-develop workshops on topic(s) of interest• Use local co-ordinators to develop activities• Jointly develop products & services

Contact

Mark DumanPresidentPatient Information ForumHandel House13 Park RoadManchesterM8 4HT

president@pifonline.org.uk

07824 605 352