{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Use British English|date=May 2015}} '''Dipex''' is a United Kingdom-based health charity<ref name=cc-1087019>{{EW charity|1087019|DIPEX}}</ref> that publishes the websites healthtalk.org,<ref>{{cite web |title=Healthtalk.org |url=https://healthtalk.org }}</ref> and socialcaretalk.org.<ref>{{cite web |title=socialcaretalk.org |url=http://socialcaretalk.org }}</ref> Both feature interviews of people sharing their experiences of health and social care.
== 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).<ref>{{cite web|title=About Us|url=http://www.healthtalkonline.org/Overview/Organisation|work=Healthtalkonline|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726143946/http://www.healthtalkonline.org/Overview/Organisation|archivedate=26 July 2011}}</ref>
The interviews featured on the websites are carried out through in-depth qualitative research. Research is undertaken by many different research institutes.
== Awards and accreditation == DIPEx has won six "Commended"s and two "Highly Commended"s from the British Medical Association Patient Information Awards between 2004 and 2009. In 2009 they won "Third Sector Organisation of The Year" from the HealthInvestor Awards. DIPEx has been rated among the top ten online health resources by The Guardian Newspaper in 2004 and one of five health websites included in The Times newspaper's 'Top 50 websites you can't live without' in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=Top 50 websites you can't live without|url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/technology/internet/article3668490.ece|work=The Times|location=London|date=26 January 2013 |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> healthtalk.org was approved by the (now defunct) Department of Health's Information Standard scheme.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Information Standard Members |url=http://www.theinformationstandard.org/our-members?page=1 |work=The Information Standard |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110114000336/http://www.theinformationstandard.org/our-members?page=1 |archivedate=14 January 2011 }}</ref> In May 2011, McPherson won the ''British Medical Journal'''s Health Communicator of the Year Award.<ref>{{cite web|title=Health Communicator of the Year|url=http://groupawards.bmj.com/2011-winners/health-communicator-of-the-year|work=British Medical Journal|date=n.d.|accessdate=7 June 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120719182617/http://groupawards.bmj.com/2011-winners/health-communicator-of-the-year|archivedate=19 July 2012}}</ref><ref>[http://www.healthtalkonline.org/Page/Ann_McPherson#Hugh_grant_accepts_the_BMJ_Health_Communicator_of_the_Year_award_on_behalf_of_terminally_ill_winner_and_healthtalkonline.org_founder__Dr_Ann_McPherson. "Hugh Grant accepts the ... award ..."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110701220505/http://www.healthtalkonline.org/Page/Ann_McPherson |date=1 July 2011 }}, ''healthtalkonline.org'', 19 May 2011. Retrieved 2012-02-13.</ref>
== Supporters == Patrons of the charity include Jon Snow and Hugh Grant. Well-known figures have supported the charity including Philip Pullman, Clive Anderson, Thom Yorke, Melvyn Bragg, Dawn French and Michael Palin.<ref>{{cite web |title=Healthtalkonline Credits |url=http://www.healthtalkonline.org/Overview/Credits |work=Healthtalkonline |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110307043207/http://www.healthtalkonline.org/Overview/Credits |archivedate=7 March 2011 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
Category:Charities based in Oxfordshire Category:Health charities in the United Kingdom Category:Patient advocacy