Making infection guidelines clearer and easier to use

Discovery and strategy Effective content Quality assurance Visual communication Health Society and government

Staying Healthy is an evidence-based resource designed to help people working in education and care services reduce the spread of disease. Biotext worked with an expert committee from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) over 14 months to assess existing content in comparison with new evidence, and develop and hone new content to be as clear, accessible and unambiguous as possible.

The resulting guidelines provide advice on infection prevention and control and what to do in the event of specific infections. This edition was also designed to capture lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and other research, and transform the guidelines from a hard copy to a digital-first format.

Our role

  • Content design and structure
  • Information architecture
  • Technical writing and synthesis
  • Copyediting and proofreading
  • Infographics
  • Work with subject matter experts

Our solution

NHMRC provides high-quality, evidence-based health advice to governments and the community. In 2022, NHMRC began work to update the 5th edition of Staying Healthy, which Biotext had also helped to develop in 2013.

In the discovery and strategy phase of the project, we liaised with the expert committee and other external consultants to identify key areas for updating in line with the latest evidence. We also analysed the existing edition alongside user feedback to identify content areas that could be made clearer and easier to navigate.

In the development phase, we worked with NHMRC and committee members throughout the redrafting process. We developed a new structure to suit online delivery and improve navigation for users, rewrote guidance to improve clarity and reduce repetition, and edited content based on iterative feedback from the expert committee. We developed infographics to support understanding of key ideas.

We provided an updated version for public consultation, and then completed further work with the committee to assess and incorporate the feedback. We also developed fact sheets for parents to help centres share information with families. Biotext finalised the guide ahead of the launch of the online and hard copy of Staying Healthy 6th edition in 2024.

Outcomes

See all projects