Welcome to the Right Decision Service (RDS) newsletter for June 2024.
Hopefully you all received the notification on Friday 28th June about the worldwide security vulnerability relating to use of code from the Polyfill.io code library – typically used to enable use of functionality in older browsers and operating systems. This vulnerability has now been addressed within RDS. Thanks to Tactuum for their prompt action on this.
This incident served as a useful reminder about the importance of making sure all devices and desktop/laptop computers have up to date anti-malware installed.
The most recent information is that final fixes and developments will take place during July, with a view to user testing taking place in August 2024.
We will be running the six-monthly usage statistics reports for all RDS toolkits during July. Please contact his.decisionsupport@nhs.scot if you would like to receive the usage report for your toolkit(s).
The Scottish Palliative Care Group is carrying out a value and impact survey of the national Palliative Care Guidelines toolkit on RDS. We would appreciate your help in circulating this survey, available at https://rightdecisions.scot.nhs.uk/scottish-palliative-care-guidelines/evaluation-survey/ /
The Palliative Care Guidelines toolkit is using an adapted version of a generic impact evaluation form which the RDS team now encourages all toolkit owners to apply 6-12 months after launch of their toolkit. Please contact ann.wales3@nhs.scot if you would like to find out more.
The RDS Learning working group is in the final stages of developing and uploading new learning resources including:
We have also drafted a communication and training plan to support implementation of the redesigned RDS. The plan aims to reach both end-users and editors, who will benefit from new features such as the archiving and version control functionality.
4.1 Training sessions for new editors (also serve as refresher sessions for existing editors) will take place on the following dates:
To book a place, please contact Olivia.graham@nhs.scot, providing your name, organisation, job role, and level of experience with RDS editing (none, a little, moderate, extensive.)
Remember that you can also organise 1-1 training sessions with Olivia on running Google Analytics reports if you want to look at data more frequently than the six-monthly reports.
The following RDS toolkits are now live:
The following toolkits are due to go live imminently:
Some of the toolkits the RDS team is currently working on:
Please contact his.decisionsupport@nhs.scot if you would like to learn more about a toolkit. The RDS team will put you in touch with the relevant toolkit lead.
HIS is working with the Scottish Library and Information Council and the ALLIANCE to implement the second phase of the Collective Force for Health and Wellbeing Action Plan. This plan aims to strengthen the role of public, health and school libraries in empowering people to use digital tools and health information for self-management and choices about health and wellbeing. A key element of this new phase is supporting public libraries to promote the RDS citizen-facing apps for health and wellbeing.
We held a webinar on 28th June about the implementation challenge for health and wellbeing apps for citizens. This included an overview of the evidence base around implementation, the critical importance of health literacy skills, and the early findings from tests of change of implementing the Being a partner in my care app. Please contact his.decisionsupport@nhs.scot if you would like a copy of the slides or access to the recording of this webinar (NHS staff only.)
If you have any questions about the content of this newsletter, please contact his.decisionsupport@nhs.scot If you would prefer not to receive future newsletters, please email Olivia.graham@nhs.scot and ask to be removed from the circulation list.
With kind regards
Right Decision Service team
Healthcare Improvement Scotland
Chunk and check can be used alongside teach back to assist in promoting understanding. Break down the information you need to discuss into smaller chunks. In between each chunk use methods such as teach back to check for understanding.
Source: Health Literacy Place
Target audience: all health and social care staff
Access: free online resource
Firstly, we need to consider how information is ‘framed’. ‘Gain framing’ is where the focus is on the advantages of intervention e.g. 95 out of 100 people having this procedure will have a good outcome. ‘Loss framing’ focuses on the disadvantages e.g. 5 in every 100 will have a complication.
It’s also easier to be consistent about the ‘denominator’ – ideally 100 – and to say e.g. 5 in every 100 rather than 1 in 20; and rather than 1 in 4, say 25 in every 100.
Another way to express information in a helpful way is to talk about the ‘number needed to treat’. That is the number of people who need to have the intervention in order to have one positive outcome. In other words, if the number needed to treat is 23, this means that 23 people will need to have the treatment in order to have one good outcome. Conversely, the ‘number needed to harm’ is the number of people undergoing the treatment before a single harm occurs. If the number needed to harm is 200, this means that 200 people will have the intervention before one negative outcome occurs.
Source: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Teach back is a useful way to confirm that the information you have provided has been understood. Get people to "teach back" what has been discussed and what instructions have been given.
Source: Health Literacy Place
Target audience: all health and social care staff
Access: free online resource
Phrase to avoid: what are your preferences?
May be interpreted as: perhaps I can ask for anything
A better form of words: we need to think about your priorities and then what we can do to fit with that
Phrase to avoid: what are your goals?
May be interpreted as: are there targets I’m supposed to meet?
A better form of words: what are things that are important for you to be able to do?
Phrase to avoid: the test results are negative
May be interpreted as: oh dear, the results are not good
A better form of words: there are no signs of any tumour in the tests we carried out
Phrase to avoid: the ceiling of treatment is ..
May be interpreted as: there’s a point at which I may not be entitled to treatment that might help
A better form of words: there are things we can do but some treatments don’t work or help when someone has these health problems
Phrase to avoid: we are going to withdraw treatment
May be interpreted as: I am (or my relative is) being abandoned by the clinical team
A better form of words: we are continuing care that may help but stopping treatments that are not helping and may cause distress or discomfort
Source: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Use simple language and try to avoid using jargon and acronyms.
Source: Health Literacy Place
Target audience: all health and social care staff
Access: free online resource
Use pictures and visuals as an effective way to improve understanding when communicating new or complex ideas to people.
Source: Health Literacy Place
Target audience: all health and social care staff
Access: free online resource
A ‘pictogram’ such as this one from NICE guidelines showing the effect of stopping smoking on preventing a cardiovascular event.
Source: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Guideline development Group. Improving the experience of care for people using NHS services: summary of NICE guidance March 2012, BMJ (online) 344(mar16 1):d6422
Access: free online resource
Realistic Medicine - National toolkit for professionals