Producing National Drug and Therapeutic Information - The Malawi Approach to Developing Standard Treatment Guidelines: MSTG 2 (Second edition): Editing and preparation for printing

Producing National Drug and Therapeutic Information - The Malawi Approach to Developing Standard Treatment Guidelines
(1994; 49 pages)

Índice de contenido

Acknowledgements
Introduction
	Uses and benefits of Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs)
	Reasons for developing the MSTG
MSTG 1 (First edition)
	Activities prior to development of MSTG 1
	Decision to develop MSTG
	Preparation
	Printing
	Distribution
		Methods of distribution
	Introducing the guidelines
MSTG 2 (Second edition)
	Review of MSTG 1 and development of MSTG 2
	Editing and preparation for printing
	Printing
	Distribution
	Introducing the new edition
		Prescriber training workshops
	Feedback
	Use in drug utilisation and prescription monitoring
	Future plans
		Training workshops
		Development of curricula for formal health training courses
		Review of MSTG 2 and preparation of the next edition
Appendices
	Appendix 1 - Background publications used in preparation of the guidelines
	Appendix 2 - Sample page of MSTG 1 (December 1988) first draft
	Appendix 3 - Sample page of MSTG 1 (May 1989) second draft
	Appendix 4 - Sample page of MSTG 1 (July 1989) third draft
	Appendix 5 - Sample page of MSTG 1 (November 1990) final version
	Appendix 6 - Technical notes on MSTG 1
	Appendix 7 - Cover page of MSTG 1
	Appendix 8 - Modification form for MSTG 1
	Appendix 9 - Sample page of MSTG 2 (July 1993) final version
	Appendix 10 - Technical notes on MSTG 2
	Appendix 11 - Cover page of MSTG 2
	Appendix 12 - Comparison table for MSTG 1 and MSTG 2
	Appendix 13 - District training workshops to introduce MSTG 2 and MPC

Editing and preparation for printing

For this edition of the MSTG, the text was prepared using word processing software (Microsoft Word for Windows® version 2.0) and tables using a spreadsheet programme (Microsoft Excel® version 4.0). Use of a word processor was found to be much easier and quicker than the desk-top publishing software used for the first edition, while still enabling inclusion of the text enhancements needed for the new edition, such as boxes and shading.

Tip #11:

Preparation of drug information documents and other similar reference texts is an intensive and lengthy process. In order to minimise the time required to complete the process, it is advisable to make arrangements for the editor to work full-time on this activity

It may therefore be necessary for arrangements to be made for any additional duties normally performed by the editor to be covered by other staff during this period.

In preparing this new edition, the opportunity was also taken to:

• reorganise the content, by grouping treatment schedules into logical sections based on types of condition or by body system.

• improve the presentation of the text, by

- changing to a sans-serif font, which improved the legibility of the smallest font size used and

- using bullets to highlight prescriber guidance points and treatment steps and italic text to highlight key words.

Incorporation of all the amendments agreed at the NDC meeting, addition of the remaining sections and preparation of the camera-ready final version for printing (see Appendix 9) occupied a further six months (see Tip #5). This was mainly due to delays in obtaining the required feedback from specialists finalising specific sections and to the workload of the editor who also had to attend to other duties during this period.

For technical notes and content of MSTG 2, see Appendix 10.

Tip #12:

Efforts should be made to seek multisource funding of the document in order to reduce the cost burden on any one department or programme

Co-funding should be possible, particularly if other departments or programmes are involved in the preparation of the material and if the final product is able to promote and satisfy the interests of these other parties.