Home >> Genetics in Practice >> Developing Services and New Roles >> A Toolkit for developing new services >> 9. Providing online Information

A Toolkit for Developing Services Involving Genetics

This information is for those who are developing services for patients with or at risk of genetic conditions. 

Please note that this Toolkit is based on the collected experiences of service development initiatives in genetics and is not intended to be a complete guide to service development; you may also want to consult generic service development resources and expertise within your own organisation.

 

Providing Online Information

The pilots identified a number of ways to maximise success and 'smooth the way' when providing websites and online information about a new service.

  1. Comply with national and local policies and procedures
  2. Ensure that web-based information is suitable for your target population
  3. Provide information within (or linked from) a website already used by the target audience
  4. Allow for a long lead-in time for design and set-up of web resources
  5. Follow good practice in web design
  6. Plan a maintenance and updating strategy for any web materials developed
  7. Plan ways to handle the enquiries generated

 

1. Comply with national and local policies and procedures

Seek advice from others responsible for web services, for example the medical illustration team, regional genetics service web manager or your organisation's web team.

 

2. Ensure that web-based information is suitable for your target population

  • Does the target population have web access? For example, health professionals working in the community may not have web access.
  • Is the use of web-based resources part of their normal routine?

 

3. Provide information within (or linked from) a website already used by the target audience rather than creating a new site

Examples include PCT, hospital or genetics department websites.

 

4. Allow for a long lead-in time for design and set-up of web resources

 

5. Follow good practice in web design

  • Ensure linked sites are relevant to the audience and reputable.
  • Consider accessibility, security and usability issues.

 

6. Plan a maintenance and updating strategy for any web materials developed

 

7. Plan ways to handle the enquiries generated

Providing online information about a service can lead to increased enquiries. How will these enquiries be accommodated?

 

Examples of resources

  • The resources page provides examples of resources from previous service development initiatives.

 

Last updated: 13 October 2011

Genetics in Practice