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Evaluating the Information Prescriptions pilots

The Department of Health commissioned a consortium of organisations to provide evaluation, research and learning support to the Information Prescriptions pilot project. The consortium was made up of GfK-NOP, OPM and the University of York.  Their work was overseen by a project board of key stakeholders.

The evaluation aimed to assess the overall effectiveness of the pilot programme along with the specific approaches that were adopted across the 20 pilots involved in the programme. More specifically, the evaluation helped to inform the four main goals of the pilot programme:

  1. To shape the practical design and delivery of information prescriptions nationally, including how the delivery will be supported nationally at the locality level
  2. To provide evidence on the effectiveness and impact on the public, professionals, and organisations alike
  3. To contribute to successful national implementation of information prescriptions to people with a long term condition.
  4. To inform the policy direction, ensuring that the implementation of prescriptions is integrated with other major policy drivers.

The interim report

An interim report was written in November 2007 to cover the developmental stage of the project.  This is available on the DH website.

The summary report

Following the publication of the interim report, the evaluation consortium gathered further evidence from the pilots through monthly data collection returns, a second round of evaluation site visits and the second wave of the survey of users, carers and professionals.  Their summary report of March 2008 is available on the DH website.

The final report

Finally, in August 2008, the final evaluation report was published.  The report concludes that 'a high number of patients and carers have found the information useful and professionals involved in the pilots were positive about information prescriptions.  In qualitative interviews with pilots, there was strong support for the concept and potential of information prescriptions, with most of the pilots continuing to implement information prescriptions beyond the pilot funding allocation.”

All the reports and appendices are available to download from the DH website:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/
PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_086889