Involving people in developing an information film about a Minor Injuries Unit
Ross McFarlane & James Stewart
Local Officers
Summary
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde used focus groups to find out the best way to provide information about the new Minor Injuries Units for people with literacy issues or whose first language is not English. Partner organisations helped to identify key people who should be involved and assisted with facilitating and interpreting. A short information film incorporating this feedback was developed and is available on the Board's website and on screens throughout its premises.
Dates
Start Date: 10
End Date: 10
Location
Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Sector
Acute care
Target groups
Black and minority ethnic people, Carers, Men, Older people, People with disabilities, Women
Methods Used
Aims and objectives
To develop an information resource about the new Minor Injuries Units in Glasgow that would be accessible to people whose first language is not English, or who may have literacy issues.
What we did
To find out how best to deliver the key messages about the Minor Injuries Units, staff from the Scottish Health Council worked with the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Community Engagement Team, Public Health Staff and Minor Injuries Unit clinical staff. Focus groups were held with representatives from:
• the Acute Operating Division Patient’s Panel
• an Adult Literacy and Numeracy group, and
• the West of Scotland Regional Equality Council.
The Focus Groups were facilitated by a member of the Community Engagement Team and there were around 9 people at each group. The West of Scotland Regional Equality Council helped to identify a group of individuals from Glasgow’s BME communities who could be invited to take part, and a member of staff from that organisation acted as an interpreter for the BME focus groups.
The sessions included a presentation by staff from the Minor Injuries Units explaining what services it provides, and a presentation by the Community Engagement Team on what their engagement work revealed about the public perception and knowledge of Minor Injuries Units. This was followed by a workshop where participants discussed their current knowledge about the service and identified the key messages that should be communicated.
The feedback from the focus groups informed the Editorial Group meetings and the brief created by the project team. The film was made by a local production company over three days. A copy of the final film was sent to a broad range of community organisations and to the people who took part in the focus groups.
• the Acute Operating Division Patient’s Panel
• an Adult Literacy and Numeracy group, and
• the West of Scotland Regional Equality Council.
The Focus Groups were facilitated by a member of the Community Engagement Team and there were around 9 people at each group. The West of Scotland Regional Equality Council helped to identify a group of individuals from Glasgow’s BME communities who could be invited to take part, and a member of staff from that organisation acted as an interpreter for the BME focus groups.
The sessions included a presentation by staff from the Minor Injuries Units explaining what services it provides, and a presentation by the Community Engagement Team on what their engagement work revealed about the public perception and knowledge of Minor Injuries Units. This was followed by a workshop where participants discussed their current knowledge about the service and identified the key messages that should be communicated.
The feedback from the focus groups informed the Editorial Group meetings and the brief created by the project team. The film was made by a local production company over three days. A copy of the final film was sent to a broad range of community organisations and to the people who took part in the focus groups.
Impact
The full version of the film about the Minor Injuries Units is available to view on the Health Board’s website and on DVD. A 60-second version of the film was developed for use on SOLUS screens, which are large television screens located in the waiting areas of Health Board premises. It is available in five community languages.
The film has been shown to a broad range of community groups and the Acute Operating Division Patients Panel who have given very positive informal feedback. However a full evaluation has not been done yet.
A list of the community groups that the film was sent out to and the SOLUS screens where the film was shown is held by the Scottish Health Council Local Office as well as NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
The film has been shown to a broad range of community groups and the Acute Operating Division Patients Panel who have given very positive informal feedback. However a full evaluation has not been done yet.
A list of the community groups that the film was sent out to and the SOLUS screens where the film was shown is held by the Scottish Health Council Local Office as well as NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Evaluation
The feedback from the focus groups ensured that the content of the film was informed by the needs of the groups involved.
From the discussions it was apparent that members of the public currently experience some difficulty accessing information about emergency care, and do not understand how the various services join up or which services are most appropriate at the time of need.
The groups also suggested how key messages about the Minor Injuries Unit should be communicated. They felt there should be clear and concise definitions to explain the differences between ‘illness’, ‘minor injury’ and ‘major injury’ accompanied by visual case studies of specific examples. Information should be presented in different ways – including through diagrams, music, colour and humour – to engage viewers’ interest and to make it more accessible. One group also suggested that the film should reflect different communities by using BME actors, but this was not possible due to a cancellation from an actor at short notice. This would be something that we would do differently next time.
From the discussions it was apparent that members of the public currently experience some difficulty accessing information about emergency care, and do not understand how the various services join up or which services are most appropriate at the time of need.
The groups also suggested how key messages about the Minor Injuries Unit should be communicated. They felt there should be clear and concise definitions to explain the differences between ‘illness’, ‘minor injury’ and ‘major injury’ accompanied by visual case studies of specific examples. Information should be presented in different ways – including through diagrams, music, colour and humour – to engage viewers’ interest and to make it more accessible. One group also suggested that the film should reflect different communities by using BME actors, but this was not possible due to a cancellation from an actor at short notice. This would be something that we would do differently next time.
Additional Project Documents
