photo: Photodisc; Steve Woods

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1.4 Before you start: The benefits of information prescribing

The pilot programme has made clear that IPs bring important benefits to patients, carers and health professionals alike.

The benefits of IPs to patients, carers and health professionals

• Benefits for users and carers

'Before I had to find all this information for myself. After receiving my information prescription it has made a real difference. The booklets I've got help me to understand dementia better and I now have the contact details for my local carer support service.'

• Better information

'The information pointed me in the right direction it gave me some new phone numbers and contacts if I needed extra help at any time.'

• Clinical outcomes

'[IPs are there] to provide information to people, especially at the time of new diagnoses. Any information that you need to help you with your long-term condition can only be beneficial.'

• Encourages increased partnership working

'It will help to ensure that everybody is doing the same thing and that we've all got access to the same information.'

 

Benefits for patients and carers

• IPs provide patients and carers with information that is specific, comprehensible and timely and will help to reduce unnecessary anxiety, stress and confusion. They are able to discuss their wider information needs with professionals.
• Patients and carers are able to continue to asking for and receiving information at every stage of their care pathway and in every encounter with a professional.
• Patients and carers can make informed choices about what information to receive and in which format, how to receive it, and what decisions to take in relation to their health and well-being (for example about diet and exercise).
• Patients and carers are offered a more flexible service, not restricted by appointment times, and supplied by a wider range of support and advice centres, websites and help-lines. This may also reduce the number of scheduled appointments needed.
• Less crisis management is needed. If service users are better able to self manage their condition, they may be less likely to experience crises such as relapses or chronic episodes.

Better information

• IP will improve information and health literacy among patients and carers. They will become better informed about their own condition and sources of support and information available and more able to make sense of that information and articulate their needs.
• Professionals will be able to access reliable information systematically, rather than relying on memory or familiar but less reliable sources.
• IPs provide rigour, consistency and breadth of information provision, resulting in high quality, tailored information, drawn from accredited information sources.
• Information can be systematically updated, and the new information passed on to IP recipients.
• IP may save time, by reducing the need for subsequent lengthy discussions with professionals.
• Information prescriptions will help to addresses health inequalities so long as local agencies are willing to work more closely together to provide a co-ordinate service

Clinical outcomes

Some of the anticipated outcomes noted by the pilot sites have included:

• Earlier diagnosis, reductions in repeat consultation and re-admittance
• Patients able to lead healthier, more independent lives where they actively participate in decisions about their care and support
• Increase in the number of patients taking their medicines or undergoing treatment at the times agreed
• Reductions in prescribing levels for specialised drugs
• Reduced instances of stress, anxiety and confusion that in some cases have led to anti-social behaviour, violence, self-harm, substance misuse, STIs and other offending behaviour

Increased partnership working

• The process of setting up and delivering information prescribing builds partnerships across the statutory and voluntary sectors. This increases professionals understanding of different service areas and gives them the capacity to offer a more holistic service to users.
• The IP initiative will improve the quality of information for people with long-term conditions among non-specialist services, particularly those run by GPs and community teams.

On the next page: Some of the research evidence in support of IP