The Infosheet Project
Since the beginning of 2016 we have been working on a new information project at Infomed-Verlag:
With the help of "infosheets" (hard- and soft-copy drug information sheets), patients who receive prescription medications will be provided with easy-to-understand information about their Rx.
The following is a more detailed look at this project.
To communicate accurate information about any drug therapy is time consuming. It is often difficult to find terminology that is easily understood by patients. The package inserts contain too much information and they particularly difficult to understand for non native speakers.
Our new service is designed to reduce communication barriers that may exist when prescribing and dispensing medicines:
With the help of "infosheets" (hard- and soft-copy drug information sheets), patients who receive prescription medications will be provided with easy-to-understand information about their Rx.
The following is a more detailed look at this project.
To communicate accurate information about any drug therapy is time consuming. It is often difficult to find terminology that is easily understood by patients. The package inserts contain too much information and they particularly difficult to understand for non native speakers.
Our new service is designed to reduce communication barriers that may exist when prescribing and dispensing medicines:
- With plain language that all patients can understand
- By taking into consideration the education level of the general public
- Through a tool that is fast and simple
- By addressing the uncertainties and fears of patients
- Have a one-page information sheet for each drug
- Have each sheet available in approximately ten languages and thus reach the majority of the population in Western Europe
- Create a practical online solution that will allow easy access to these infosheets
- Create sheets that one can take home or print anywhere.
- Communication becomes better and more efficient
- The treated patient feels better cared for and better informed
- It is a safer assumption that people understand what the drug is all about
- No one has to memorize anything -- the most important information about the drug is on the sheet
In addition, here are some additional considerations regarding the offer and its use:
Proven methodologies of user-centered design will be employed for product development:
The following product features are planned (and have already been validated in surveys and in an initial pilot test):
- The service is a complement, not a replacement, to the consultation given by the doctor or the pharmacist and it is also a complement to the official package inserts
- Each infosheet will be for one drug and it will fit on one A4 sheet of paper.
- The content structure will be simple and the language will be easily understood.
Proven methodologies of user-centered design will be employed for product development:
- Prospective subscribers (physicians/pharmacists) are involved in product development
- Beta versions are tested in practice (pilot project)
The following product features are planned (and have already been validated in surveys and in an initial pilot test):
- Include only information that is relevant to patients
- Write simple and comprehensible text to communicate the information
- Design a standard and easy-to-understand layout
- Make all information sheets available in about ten languages
- Develop a system through which infosheets can be delivered simply and reliably
- Maintain information sheets for 200 active substances
The following are the next steps in the project:
- The solution is to be developed in 2-3 expansion stages
- The next milestones are the editing of the information sheets, the development of the online platform and the translations.
- The launch of the first subscription is scheduled for mid-2017
- The plan is to offer the service as an annual subscription, in a similar price range as other Infomed products.
It has become clear that the successful realization of this project requires more time and money than a not-for-profit publishing company can carry. We would therefore like to ask you to make a contribution to this project. Even a contribution in the order of CHF 20-50 would be very helpful.
We appreciate your contribution very much, please use the following account when donating:
Stiftung Info-Pharma
Bergliweg 17
CH-9500 Wil SG
Switzerland
Switzerland
Postfinance
Postkonto 90-36-1
IBAN-Nr: CH23 0900 0000 9000 0036 1
We accept online donations :
For further information on the project, please contact Lukas Gysling (project manager). Please send an e-mail to: lukas@infomed.ch
For further information on the project, please contact Lukas Gysling (project manager). Please send an e-mail to: lukas@infomed.ch
