Macc, the ICR Social Licensee in Manchester asked its Community Reporters for their views on patient information. Eleven people’s views were collected and were fed into the Patient Information Forum project to develop a best practice tool kit.
Their stories found that people with long term conditions found it difficult to access trustworthy information. Also, people don’t feel they have enough information to feel confident discussing decisions about their own treatment with their doctor. Jake Kalisch, one of our community reporters, curated this content to produce this feature.
Mental Health and WellBeing - What do Community Reporters say?
Reporters have been contributing stories on their mental health for over 3 years.
Melissa, one of the Community Reporters, reviewed the content and looked at the wider context of mental health. She produced a short report looking at how Community Reporters' stories relate to the policy. She found that the Department of Health is committed to improving health in England and addressing barriers that create inequalities in health. Areas that the public have identified as important include greater emphasis on general wellbeing, more information and support and easier access to services.
These areas for improvement appear to be echoed by stories from the Institute of Community Reporters. Other key points raised by the report include the impact of stigma and lack of awareness about mental health issues, and the invaluable contribution of community groups and volunteers to wellbeing and recovery.
To view the stories, visit: http://communityreporter.net/feature/how-good-patient-information-see-what-people-are-saying