Guidance

Appendix B: Core principles for development of public information

Updated 21 December 2018

© Crown copyright 2018

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phe-screening-publications-production-and-review/appendix-b-core-principles-for-development-of-public-information

This appendix lists the principles developed by PHE Screening to guide the development of public information materials, such as the leaflets to support informed choice.

The first set of principles relate specifically to those listed in the Department of Health response to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee report on national health screening.

The second set are additional principles that are important when writing public information.

1. Principles relating to select committee report

    1. Information should be based on the ‘consider an offer’ methodology (Pittam and Allaby, 2012).
    2. Information should be balanced and include reference to both the benefits and harms. This includes the invitation to be screened, the information leaflet itself and any follow-up information.
    3. Information should be scientifically accurate. This includes, where possible, up-to-date information on the prevalence of each condition together with relevant statistics and the accuracy (sensitivity and specificity) of the screening tests.
    4. Individuals have the right to personal choice and it is their right to accept or decline the offer of screening.
    5. More detailed information should be available online for those who wish to access such information. This would assume higher literacy and numeracy levels but should not assume any medical, scientific or healthcare knowledge.
    6. Information should be easily accessible.
    7. Stakeholder representatives should be involved in the process of developing the information. This includes clinical experts, frontline professionals supporting individuals in the screening process, patient support and voluntary groups, users of the screening service and members of the public.
    8. The information provided should be subject to periodic review and evaluation.

2. Other principles

    9. Information should be easy to understand, in plain language. It should be acceptable to the literacy and numeracy levels of an 11 year old.
    10. Information should be conveyed in a way that is appropriate and relevant to the intended target audience.
    11. Information should be conveyed in a variety of formats including text, pictures, diagrams and videos.
    12. An expert advisory/editorial group should be established, where appropriate, to oversee the development of the information. This should include in-house screening experts, independent external experts and representatives of relevant user groups.
    13. Information should be assessed for its general understanding, acceptability, perception of balanced information and its influence on decision making.
    14. The process of information development should be coordinated, be iterative in nature, take account of stakeholder feedback and be clearly documented and transparent.
    15. Information for the public should be supported by appropriate levels of training for health professionals.
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