Clear, timely communication is essential for vaccine policy decisions. Biotext works with the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) to translate technical information into clear communication for health professionals, policy makers and the public.
Since 2011, Biotext has attended ATAGI meetings and distilled the committee’s deliberations into concise, actionable minutes for the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and other stakeholders. We also provide communication support to ATAGI and the department by creating both internal and public-facing products that explain evidence-based processes and clinical recommendations to help turn policy into practice.
Our role
- Technical writing and synthesis
- Summaries
- Copyediting and proofreading
- Work with subject matter experts
- Infographics
Our solution
We attend every ATAGI meeting and capture the discussion in detailed notes. The meetings are not electronically recorded, so our notes must be comprehensive and precise to act as the single source of truth. We prepare the formal meeting minutes, as well as a public-facing bulletin that supports transparency in ATAGI’s processes and decision making.
We also provide communication support to ATAGI and the department. We have developed a quarterly vaccine pipeline dashboard, infographics on key topics for ATAGI and health executives, and diagrams to explain processes, relationships and structures for internal departmental use. We provide content development and visual communication for a range of public-facing products, including the Australian Immunisation Handbook, annual statements on immunisation, and clinical statements on specific diseases or vaccines.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we helped the department produce frequent and rapid updates to clinical guidance for health professionals, as well as clear and engaging content for the general public on COVID-19 vaccines and risk communication. Biotext’s CEO, Dr Julie Irish, was invited to participate in the COVID-19 Response Inquiry roundtable on science communication and the role of experts, allowing us to share our experience and lessons learned to inform future improvements to health communication and risk communication, both in emergencies and as business as usual.
Our expertise in immunisation content and our long-standing partnership with ATAGI has given us a deep understanding of current and emerging issues in vaccine-preventable diseases and the nuance required for communicating about immunisation.
Outcomes
- Meeting minutes
- ATAGI Bulletin
- ATAGI Minister’s brief
- Infographics