The Background

As part of the NHS COVID-19 response programme, the NHS developed the COVID-19 Clinical Risk Assessment Tool, which is a web-based tool accessible only by clinicians. This helps determine a patient’s risk of being hospitalised, or mortality if they catch Coronavirus, meaning interventions can be made to help reduce the patient’s risk.

Oxford University researchers analysed early 2020 patient data to discover which factors (including age, weight and disabilities) increase the risks from Coronavirus. This information was then used to create the QCOVID Calculation Engine which has been developed into the NHS COVID-19 Clinical Risk Assessment Tool, recently covered by BBC news.

Aire was delighted to partner with the NHS and created two animations to instruct clinicians on how to use the tool, explaining how it works and how results are presented.

The Brief

The brief was to ensure clinicians at all levels would feel confident with the COVID-19 Clinical Risk Assessment Tool, offering our animation services to help communicate what the tool is and how it works. These needed to be short, succinct and engaging, ranging from 60 seconds to 2 minutes in length, including animated objects and clean, bold typography to ensure they were inclusive for all.

The Objective

The first animation needed to show what the tool is and how it works, the information required to calculate the risk of hospitalisation or mortality as a result of COVID-19, and any limitations of the service.

Then, the second video explains how the tool presents results, highlighting that there are two risk scores (absolute risk and relative risk), detailing what these mean and how the results should be interpreted.

The key objective was to make the videos simple and easy to understand by clinicians at all levels, whilst using sensitive language when discussing delicate topics. For example, although the primary audience is clinicians, it cannot be assumed that they have a detailed knowledge of the algorithms, whilst the animations may also be seen by members of the general public during consultation, who likely have a limited understanding of the subject matter.

The Result

Aire developed the original creative idea, storyboards, a suite of assets to support the storyboards, script development, and produced the two final animations. With engaging on-brand animations, the complex subject matter was simplified, helping the target audience to quickly and easily understand the content.

The COVID-19 Clinical Risk Assessment Tool was launched on 15th February 2021 and is in use now by NHS clinicians.

If your brand needs help creating engaging, on-brand and inclusive animations, book your Aire time today!