DIPEx Charity

DIPEx (Database of Individual Patient Experiences) is an

Oxford, England-based health charity^[1] that works closely with many researchers including the Health Experiences Research Group at University of Oxford to disseminate research into personal experiences of health and illness. The charity publishes its works through the website healthtalk.org,^[2]

which features interviews of people talking about their experiences of living with a range of health conditions and are aimed at patients, their carers, family and friends, doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals.

History

DIPEx was established in 2001 by GP Dr Ann McPherson CBE and clinical pharmacologist Andrew Herxheimer after their own experiences of illness. Ann had been diagnosed with breast cancer and although she knew all the medical information, couldn't find anyone else to talk to about the personal and emotional side of having the disease. This, and Herxheimer's experience of knee replacement surgery, prompted them to come up with the idea of a patient experience website. A small group of people from various backgrounds were asked to join a Steering Group and after many meetings around McPherson's kitchen table, the idea came into being with the help of Lion New Media (part of Lion Television).^[3]

Methods

The interviews featured on the websites are carried out through in-depth qualitative research into over 100 different illnesses and health conditions. Research is undertaken by many different research institutes. Oxford's Health Experiences Research Group research group is a key contributor. HERG has been rated as a highly performing primary care department in the country in research assessments.

Awards and accreditation

DIPEx has won six "Commended"s and two "Highly Commended"s from the

British Medical Journal's Health Communicator of the Year Award.^[6]^[7]

Supporters

Patrons of the charity include

Sir David Weatherall. Well-known figures have supported the charity or contributed video introductions for the websites including Philip Pullman, Clive Anderson, Thom Yorke, Melvyn Bragg, Dawn French and Michael Palin.^[8]

References

^ "DIPEX, registered charity no. 1087019". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
^ "Healthtalk.org".
^ "About Us". Healthtalkonline. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011.
^ The Times Newspaper. "Top 50 websites you can't live without". The Times. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
^ "The Information Standard Members". The Information Standard. Archived from the original on 14 January 2011.
^ "Health Communicator of the Year". British Medical Journal. n.d. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
^ "Hugh Grant accepts the ... award ..." Archived 1 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, healthtalkonline.org, 19 May 2011. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
^ "Healthtalkonline Credits". Healthtalkonline. Archived from the original on 7 March 2011.

[cc-1087019-1] "DIPEX, registered charity no. 1087019". Charity Commission for England and Wales.

[2] "Healthtalk.org".

[3] "About Us". Healthtalkonline. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011.

[4] The Times Newspaper. "Top 50 websites you can't live without". The Times. Retrieved 6 March 2013.

[5] "The Information Standard Members". The Information Standard. Archived from the original on 14 January 2011.

[6] "Health Communicator of the Year". British Medical Journal. n.d. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2011.

[7] "Hugh Grant accepts the ... award ..." Archived 1 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, healthtalkonline.org, 19 May 2011. Retrieved 2012-02-13.

[8] "Healthtalkonline Credits". Healthtalkonline. Archived from the original on 7 March 2011.

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