The Bone Cancer Research Trust Information Provision: Policy Statement, October 2010

The Bone Cancer Research Trust is committed to produce good quality information on primary bone cancer, which is, up to date, accurate, reliable (reflects best available evidence), inclusive, sensitive and appropriate for its intended audience.

We are committed to ensure that our information production systems currently and will be maintained to meet the requirements of The Information Standard. The information produced by The Bone Cancer Research Trust is/ will be written in plain English and any scientific or medical language is fully explained. The information is aimed at primary bone cancer patients, their families and friends, healthcare professionals and the general public. We will also have information aimed specifically at teenagers and young people.

The Bone Cancer Research Trust is also committed to maintaining records to show acknowledgement of the policy statement and its implications by all those involved in producing the information.

All our cancer information for patients and healthcare professionals is written by and reviewed by experienced scientists and health care professionals, and people with direct and indirect experience of primary bone cancers. We have a strict editorial policy and all our information is based on best available evidence published in peer reviewed journals and from experts in the field of primary bone cancer treatment and management. BCRT does not give specific advice to any individuals regarding clinical matters.

Information produced by The Bone cancer Research Trust undergoes review by a panel of scientific and clinical experts, patients, parents/ carers, patients' families (siblings, extended family and partners). This panel is called the Information Advisory Panel (IAP). The IAP is overseen by the Bone Cancer Research Trust Editorial Board, which is made up of two consultants (orthopaedic surgeon and paediatric oncologist), a scientist and a lay person with direct experience of primary bone cancer.

The Bone Cancer Research Trust also has a Teenage Advisory Panel, which is tasked with reviewing our information specifically aimed at teenagers and young people. This panel is also overseen by the Editorial Board.

To give our web site users and readers of our printed materials (leaflets/ booklets and posters) confidence that our information is reliable and trustworthy, BCRT is in the process of becoming Information Standard certified. We intend to adhere to the required criteria in order to gain 'The Information Standard.' Moreover, we will continue to pursue a rigorous editorial policy for any new information we produce and regularly review and assess our processes used for producing information in order to maintain 'The Information Standard' certification.

In addition, all BCRT's existing information will be fully reviewed annually to ensure it is still current and accurate. The Bone Cancer Research Trust also constantly monitors the scientific and medical literature; therefore, we are committed to revising and or amending information immediately if there are changes in national guidelines, treatments or other significant changes in evidence.

The Bone Cancer Research Trust is grateful to all those people (doctors, nurses, patients and their family and friends) that have very kindly donated their time and expertise during the process of information production, especially during the review phases.

The Bone Cancer Research Trust shall hold responsibility for the accuracy of the information they publish and neither the scheme operator nor the scheme owner shall have any responsibility whatsoever for costs losses or direct or indirect damages or costs arising from inaccuracy of information or omissions in information published on the website on behalf of The Bone Cancer Research Trust.

Information Produced, October, 2010, Version: 01
Review Due, March 2011.