SSC: Communicating Health

Information

Dr Sam Caton

Section of Public Health, ScHARR

s.caton@sheffield.ac.uk

Monday 20th February 2017

Aim

• To develop your skills in accessing and communicating health information

Objectives

• To produce a poster to communicate information on a public health topic of interest, to colleagues from a variety of public health and social care professions (at UK Public Health Association Forum)

• To demonstrate the ability to access and communicate relevant epidemiological and management information on a public heath issue

Tomorrows Doctors: Outcomes for Graduates

• Access information sources and use the information in relation to patient care, health promotion, giving advice and information to patients, and research and education.

• Apply the principles, method and knowledge of health informatics to medical practice.

(GMC 2009; p24)

SSCs must be an integral part of the curriculum, enabling students to demonstrate mandatory competences while allowing choice in studying an area of particular interest to them.

(GMC 2009; p50)

SkillsSpecific skills

• Identification & critical appraisal of information

• Knowledge of epidemiology

• Knowledge of different approaches to managing public health

• Knowledge of the multidisciplinary nature of public health

• Knowledge of population vs. individual approach to public health

Generic• Written communication

• Suitable format for audience

• IT and presentation

Professional• Plagiarism

• Following instructions

Target topic/issue

Can be one you have already studiedbut doesn’t have to be

One in which you have an interest

Target audience

Colleagues from a variety of public healthand social care professions

Example Topics (1)

• Asthma, COPD – pollution, smoking

• Sexual health & STIs - Chlamydia screening in young adults

• Teenage pregnancies – risk factors, impact, interventions

• Obesity – lifestyle, environment, multi agency interventions

• Diabetes – risk factors, impact, interventions, lifestyle, medication

• Health inequalities – deprivation, cancer

• Screening – prostate, colorectal, breast, cervical, difficulties and interventions

• Diet/nutrition & Lifestyle, health promotion

• Smoking & cessation – specific groups (pregnant women, young adults, pre-operative patients

• Stroke, CHD – risk factors

• Eating Disorders – specific groups, awareness raising

• Antibiotics use/overuse in primary care

Example Topics (2)• Alcohol abuse - specific groups, drink driving, binge drinking, underage drinking,

personal and societal impact

• Drug abuse –awareness raising, treatment, support schemes, multi agency interventions, impact

• Child health – breastfeeding, diet, smoking, asthma, health promotion, immunizations., MMR

• Older adults- adverse weather, hospital acquired infections, flu jab, services for elderly patients

• Mental health – difficulties, support services, awareness raising

• Accidents & injury prevention – road traffic accidents, falls, burns

• Infectious diseases - TB

• Patient safety - hospital acquired infections, accidents and errors

• Occupational health – stress, musculoskeletal disorders, falls

• Violence/bullying – healthcare workers

• Global/International health issues; migrant health issues;

Poster: Content

• Title

• Introduction to the public health issue

• Epidemiology

- Person - Who is affected (age sex, ethnicity, occupation...)

- Place - Geographical location

- Time - Variation over time, years, seasons…

- Risk factors

NB: you must provide a COMPARISON on the basis of one of the above, e.g. Barnsley & Rotherham, age groups, occupations, smokers/non smokers…

• Implications (e.g. personal/social costs)

• Intervention/Policy/Recommendations

- Population health - primary, secondary & tertiary prevention

• Conclusions

* Content must be Evidence Based – accurate & reasonably up to date

Poster: product

Produce a poster

• 1 side A3 or 2 sides of A4 - A4 sheets should be joined/taped(which could be enlarged to correct proportions for conference)

• Landscape or portrait as you wish

• Printing on paper is sufficient

Include a list of references used to inform content

• Smaller font (but readable) – should not take more than about 1/6th of poster

• Vancouver referencing system (same as HOM SSC)

Do attribute source for any copyright illustrations next to them on the poster (weblink will suffice)

Put student number on poster underneath title

Do not put your name on the poster

Timescale

~ 20hrs allocated on Minerva/ 9 wks to complete the assignment

(see Minerva for allocated study slots)

Submission deadline: Wed 26th April by 3pm

Don’t leave printing until the last minute!

Submission to ‘Turnitin’• Text content only (excluding references/images) must be

submitted to turnitin for originality report

• Report must be submitted with poster

• Website: www.submit.ac.uk

• Class ID – 3209965

• PASSWORD: phase1 (lowercase)

• Turnitin student guidelines available on Minerva

• For support: email ssc.queries@sheffield.ac.uk

Submission

Submission deadline: Wed 26th April by 3pm

• You must submit 1 hard copy of:

– Poster

– Assessment Proforma with student number

– Turnitin report

– Submission receipt with details completed (this will be stamped on submission, you should retain one copy as proof)

– For hard copy: staple submission receipt, proforma & turnitin report but not poster

• Hand hard copies in to Medical School Office

• Email electronic copies to sscsubmission@sheffield.ac.uk

Do not email your poster to any other email address

Assessment

• 10% of all posters double marked; all borderline, fail and excellent grades are double marked

• Standard marking criteria (on Minerva)

• Marks given for specific ‘skills’

- presentation (visual display and appropriate language)

- scientific content (selection & presentation of appropriate material)

• Borderline/unsatisfactory performance triggers a meeting with CHI SSC lead or Phase 1 SSC lead prior to resubmission

Feedback

• Proforma

• Feedback report posted on Minerva

• Verbal / email feedback if required

Common weaknesses: Presentation

Dark coloured background, or dark text in a patterned background

Aim for a clear contrast between the background and the text

Too much text and putting it in large, dense blocks

Reduce text to a series of concise and precise bullet points, but avoid superficial lists

Clearly separate key points

Making graphs and diagrams too small to be easily read

Eyes are drawn to clear graphs/diagrams - conveys results or key messages & saves words

Label & number graphs/diagrams, and cite in text (e.g. fig 1 shows…).

Incorrect citing of references, especially where accessed from the Internet

Refer to instructions for SSC HOM or access guidance at http://www.shef.ac.uk/library/useful/refs.html

Common weaknesses: Content

Too much clinical detail and not enough Public Health

Keep background information to a minimum; ensure content directly relates title/focus.

Topic or focus too broad resulting in superficial coverage (e.g. Diabetes, incl type 1&2)

Select a title that identifies a well defined focus & tailor content to address this

Insufficient detail on data presented in graphs/tables/charts (e.g. country; dates) & using data from different countries without justifying its relevance.

Clearly identify the relevance of data presented to your target population in terms of who, where and when the data relates to.

Presentation Tips

Concise textual explanations

Clear/simple language

Short sentences

Logical order

Uncluttered

Separate chunks of text

Bullet points can help break text

Avoid complex medical terms or abbreviations (unless clarified)

Tables/graphs/images where appropriate – not excessive

CAPITALS and underlining can be hard to read

Readable font size (11- 12)

Colours - reasonable contrast

Avoid excessive use of colour

Check readability

Software: Word; Powerpoint

Excellent examples

Some sources of PH Information

- The University Library: Health Statistics

http://www.librarydevelopment.group.shef.ac.uk/blogs/med_dent/?p=317s

- Association of Public Health Observatories

http://www.apho.org.uk/

- PCT websites – for local PH priorities and health data

e.g. http://www.sheffield.nhs.uk/healthdata/

What’s on Minerva?1. Lecture slides

2. Frequently Asked Questions

3. JISC Turnitin Guide

4. Marking criteria

5. Marking proforma

6. Submission receipt

7. Examples of posters from 2010 awarded an ‘excellent’ grade

- Students have provided their consent to make these posters available. They are not ‘perfect’ and are intended as examples only so please use your own initiative/creativity to design the format that best suits your information

SSC QueriesPlease direct SSC queries to ssc.queries@sheffield.ac.uk

SSC Contacts:Dr Sam Caton (SSC Lead) s.caton@sheffield.ac.uk

Mr Jonathan Reed (SSC Administrative support) j.reed@sheffield.ac.uk

Any Questions?