Information prescriptions allow you to create a printable document showing just the information you need about a particular condition. Find out how to use the service.
The Information Prescription Service (IPS) allows users, both professional and public, to create information prescriptions (IPs) for long-term health needs.
What is an information prescription?
Patients and carers have told us they want to know how to find information they can trust and rely on. Information prescriptions are a quick and easy way to provide information about your condition and local services.
As part of the NHS Constitution, the NHS has committed to:
“offer you easily accessible, reliable and relevant information to enable you to fully participate in your own healthcare decisions, and to support you in making choices.”
These information prescriptions bring together a wealth of information sources from NHS Choices and our charity partners to make it easier for you to find the information you need.
How do information prescriptions help?
An informed patient is better placed to make decisions about their care and well-being, and manage changes in their health status. Information gives people the power and confidence to become partners in their care. It helps them to regain a sense of control over their lives and can reduce the fear and loneliness that the diagnosis of a life-threatening or long-term condition can bring.
User guides
Read the IPS user guides for more information.
Creating an information prescription
Information prescriptions (IP) can be created by both logged on and logged off users, but only logged on users can save an IP as a favourite or keep a record of it.
Note: Users can register for an account or log in by clicking on the corresponding link at the top of the screen.
To create an IP, users start by selecting a condition and entering their location or postcode (optional).
Next, users can select a number of different pieces of content from a number of categories, including:
- basic NHS Information,
- specialist information from our charity partners,
- local information,
- directory information.
Logged in users creating an IP can also add a personalised cover note.
All the content is presented in expandable concertinas that can be opened or closed by clicking on show/hide links within the concertinas.
Within the concertinas there may be further categories that can be expanded in the same way. Users select particular pieces of content by ticking boxes next to them.
Different types of content included in the IPS are:
- PDF documents/leaflets,
- video files,
- audio files,
- flash files.
After selecting all the desired content, users can generate the IP by clicking the ‘Create information prescription’ button at the bottom of the page.
The next screen will be the final IP preview form where the user creating the IP can choose to email, print (as a PDF) or save the IP (as a PDF) by clicking the corresponding button at the top of the screen.
Note: before clicking on one of the buttons, logged in users have an option to save their current IP as a 'Favourite' they can later re-use. These will become visible next time the user creates an IP.
Logged in users can view all of the IPs they have created in the past by clicking on the ‘Prescribing history’ link at the top of the screen.
Local information
Local organisations are invited to add local information that they believe will be helpful to users of the IPS. Information can be condition or treatment specific, for uploading against particular topics, or can be generic for uploading against a range of different topics
Local information assets should provide information related to the locality, and not duplicate information about a condition or treatment that is already available through the IPS. For example, a local asset might describe breast cancer services in a particular area, but should not provide information about breast cancer itself.
For more information, or to submit assets to the system, please contact us.