Trusted health information accessible at new Patient Information Forum website
DRWF is currently working to join the PIF TICK to ensure we are providing reliable, trustworthy information for people living with diabetes.
A new website to help people find trusted health information has launched today (5 July 2021).
The PIF TICK website launch coincides with the start of Health Information Week 2021 (5th to 11th July).
The website will be available to members of the public to see which organisations have the PIF TICK – the UK quality mark for health information – and offers advice on how to find trusted health information.
PIF TICK, which launched in May 2020 to replace the discontinued Information Standard (of which DRWF had accreditation), is run by the non-profit Patient Information Forum (PIF).
PIF TICK members to date include healthcare charity organisations Macmillan Cancer Support, Bupa UK, Mind and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
The scheme currently has 41 accredited members with a further 30 potential members undergoing the assessment process.
As part of DRWF’s ongoing commitment to providing the best, most reliable and trustworthy information possible for our supporters we are currently preparing our submission to join the PIF TICK. This will impact on the processes used to commission articles and provide a wide range of diabetes-related information for better self-management and wellbeing, from the monthly Diabetes Wellness News, to our series of diabetes information leaflets.
PIF Chair Sue Farrington said: "Our consumer research shows people want to see a quality mark on health information.
"That is why we started the PIF TICK and that is why we are launching the public website today to make it easier for people to find information they can trust.
"Accurate, accessible, evidence-based information is key to increasing patient empowerment and improving health outcomes."
To gain the PIF TICK members must show they meet 10 key steps, including how users are involved in the production of health information, that is evidence-based, and it is easy to use and understand.
Patient advocate Trishna Bharadia said: “For me it’s important to have a quality mark like the PIF TICK because there is so much misinformation and fake information out there.
"A quality mark can help to identify information as being trustworthy, reliable and evidence based.
"Having this information available is crucial for being able to make the right decisions about my healthcare and having a PIF TICK quality mark would increase my confidence in the information that I’m using.”
The new site is designed to make it easier for members of the public to find out which organisations have the PIF TICK.
It also offers advice on how to find trusted health information, tips on spotting fake information and guides to understanding evidence.
The PIF TICK is the only assessed quality mark for print and online trusted health information in Europe.
In a statement PIF TICK said: “The Portuguese Presidency of the EU has made the establishment of quality marks for trusted information a priority.
“World Health Organization Consultant João Marecos is working on a case study of the PIF TICK to support this.”
To find out more about PIF TICK visit here
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Read DRWF diabetes information leaflets here
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