1.5 Before you start: Frequently asked questions

What are information prescriptions (IPs)?

IPs provide an information signposting service for patients with long-term health and social care needs, in order to help them access further support independently to help them look after their own care

Who is the IP for?

IPs are intended for health and social care users with long-term needs

How do patients get an IP?

Patients may get an IP:

• via a healthcare professional at any point during a patient's care pathway
• by self-referral to the Health Information Centre
• via an IP postcard or through self-referral
• through a pharmacy participating in the 'Ask about medicines' programme, or other information providers

Where can patients get an IP?

Patients can get an IP at a variety of locations depending on their individual needs. Typical locations are:

• the clinical environment
• local community centres
• the patient's home
• health information centres (used as distribution points for information leaflets)

Are IPs self-administered?

No, IPs are developed through joint consultation between a patient and a healthcare professional

How is the IP prepared?

There are two main steps in preparing the IP:
1. A healthcare professional will have a meeting with the service user to assess their need
2. The IP is produced according to the assessment evidence, which may involve consultation with other agencies

What technology can be used to develop the IP?

PAID is a database used in consultation with the patient to produce an IP information pack.

What other agencies might be involved in preparing the IP?

Pilot sites have liaised with other organisations connected to health and social care, including local and national support groups (such as the Cystic Fibrosis Trust), social care agencies, LINks (formerly PPI Forums), using lists of relevant organisations which can support the individual to help produce the IP.

What does an IP look like?

IPs can take several formats, reflecting the flexibility they offer to meet the specific needs of the individual. The following formats have been used to produce IPs:

• audio
• written (including Easy Read format)
• through Healthspace accounts
• dedicated website
• email

Why have they been introduced?

IPs were proposed in the DH white paper, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say, as part of measures to provide access to the right information at the right time for long-term health and social care service users. IPs were piloted in 2007 and it will be rolled out nationally in 2008

Where have they been tested?

IPs were tested in 20 pilot sites across England during 2007.

How do you know they are effective?

The experiences of the 20 pilot sites have been evaluated by a consortium of research organisations commissioned to undertake quantitative and qualitative research assessing the effectiveness of IPs. The consortium also provided learning support to the pilot sites to enable them to learn from each other. You can download the summary reportof this work from the DH website .

What training is required to issue an IP?

IP training varies according to each organisation and its needs. There is no formal qualification for healthcare professionals. Look for the training information in this online resource.

What are future plans for IPs?

Health and social care organisations are introducing IPs up and down the country. The purpose of this online resource is to help them do so effectively.

This is the last page of section 1 of this resource. In the next section we will look at how organisations can take the first steps in setting up the process of information prescribing.