How we produce information
We’re the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity. We’re determined to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer.
One of the ways we do this is by producing high quality bowel cancer information for the general public, including those at risk of developing bowel cancer, people who have been diagnosed and their friends and family.
How we produce information
We make sure our information is accurate and up-to-date by using the latest evidence from research and clinical guidelines. However, our information does not replace the advice of your healthcare team.
All of our health information is updated every two to three years. We try to make our information as clear as possible by writing in plain language and explaining medical words.
We involve healthcare professionals and researchers to check our information is scientifically accurate and up to date.
We also work with volunteer reviewers, including patients, their family and friends. By involving people who have been affected by bowel cancer, we can make sure that our health information is clear, easy to understand and fit for purpose.
If you’d like to help us review and further develop our health information, please email us.
If you would like to see a list of the references we’ve used to produce our information please don’t hesitate to email us on feedback@bowelcanceruk.org.uk
The Patient Information Forum
We are a member of the Patient Information Forum (PIF). PIF is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that provides expert guidance on the production of high-quality health information.
We make sure to follow the best practice guidelines set by PIF and have a thorough and detailed process for producing health and patient information.
Our quality standards for information
We have a rigorous process for our patient and health information to ensure that it is of high quality and useful for our audience.
- We identify our target audience’s needs and give consideration to health literacy levels
- We derive our evidence from appropriate sources and present it in a balanced manner
- We involve our end users in the production and incorporate their input, as appropriate
- We peer review each product
- We design each product to be accessible to the target audience
- We check for conflicts of interest for each product
- Final authorised approvers approve each of our products for publication
- We reference or signpost to our evidence sources for each product
- Each product features the production/last review date and the next review due date
- It is clear to end users how to give feedback on each product
- Each product is in plain language, free from spelling or grammatical errors and jargon
- All those involved in information production understand our process and follow it
- We only use current, relevant and trustworthy evidence sources
Our awards
2019 BMA Patient Information Award
Our ‘Younger people with bowel cancer: a guide for the under 50s’ information resource was highly commended.
2018 BMA Patient Information Award
Our information resource ‘Bowel cancer screening – a guide to the NHS bowel cancer screening programme in England’ was highly commended at the BMA Patient Information Award.
2017 BMA Patient Information Award
Our information resources ‘Your diet and lifestyle: living with and beyond bowel cancer’ and ‘Simple steps for good bowel health’ were highly commended.
2016 BMA Patient Information Award
Our Younger people with bowel cancer: a guide for the under 50s.
2015 BMA Patient Information Award
Our Younger people with bowel cancer: a guide for the under 50s.
Our information pack, ‘Your diet: Living with and Beyond Bowel Cancer’, won the Self Care Resources Award.
2014 BMA Patient Information Award
Our Bowel Health and Screening resource, which supports people with learning disabilities and their carers, won the Special Award for Learning Disabilities.
We welcome your feedback on our information resources and whether you found them helpful. Email us on feedback@bowelcanceruk.org.uk with your comments.