How are review comments and feedback managed within DITA for healthcare content?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

Managing review comments and feedback within DITA for healthcare content is essential for maintaining document quality and ensuring that healthcare professionals, subject matter experts, and medical writers can collaborate effectively. DITA offers a structured way to handle comments and revisions. Review comments can be embedded directly within the DITA XML, making it easier to track and address feedback during the content creation and review process.

Review comments in DITA are typically managed through the use of specialized elements and attributes, such as <revhistory> and <revremark>. These elements allow reviewers to leave comments, suggestions, and annotations within the document. The <revhistory> element maintains a history of revisions, including who made the changes and when they were made, while <revremark> provides a space for specific comments and feedback.

Example:

Here’s an example of how review comments and feedback can be managed within DITA for healthcare content:

<!-- Example of managing review comments in DITA -->
<topic id="drug-administration">
  <title>Drug Administration Guidelines</title>
  <body>
    <p>Author: Medical Writer

    <revhistory>
      <revision>
        <date>2023-10-20</date>
        <author>Dr. Johnson</author>
        <revremark>Added information about dosage.</revremark>
      </revision>
      <revision>
        <date>2023-10-22</date>
        <author>Nurse Davis</author>
        <revremark>Suggested clarifications on side effects.</revremark>
      </revision>
    </revhistory>
    <p>This document provides guidelines for administering medication to patients.
  
</body>

In this example, both Dr. Johnson and Nurse Davis have left review comments within the DITA document, making it clear who made the suggestions and what changes they proposed. The <revhistory> element records the revision history, while <revremark> contains specific comments and feedback.