About CHF's Consumer Representatives Program

In the early days, CHF provided consumer representatives to about 30 national committees. As recognition of consumer participation has increased, these numbers have swelled. CHF now provides consumer representatives to over 200 national health related committees and working groups with a health remit.

Benefits of consumer participation

In 2001, the Consumer Focus Collaboration summarised the evidence of how consumer participation contributed to a range of outcomes related to the health system. The document noted that:

  • Active consumer participation in decision-making in individual care leads to improvements in health outcomes
  • Access to quality information facilitates decision-making and supports an active role for consumers in managing their own health
  • Active consumer participation leads to more accessible and effective health services
  • Effective consumer participation in quality improvement and service development activities in health services is achieved through the adoption of a range of methods
  • Effective consumer participation uses methods that facilitate participation by those traditionally marginalised by mainstream health services
  • Active involvement of consumers at all levels of the development, implementation and evaluation of health strategies and programs is integral to their success.

Consumer participation today

One of the most prevalent approaches to consumer participation in Australia is the appointment of a consumer representative on government committees. More committees now include consumers than a decade ago. However, the consumer is often a lone voice amongst many health care professionals, service providers, industry and government representatives. Consumer representatives need access to training and support in order to be effective in influencing committee outcomes, and in dealing with the unfamiliar culture and practices of professional committees.

Isn't everyone a health care consumer?

Of course, most people have been health care consumers at some point in their lives. However, not every committee member can represent consumers. Other committee members such as service providers, health care professionals, industry representatives and government officers are usually placed on the committee to represent those perspectives. They cannot do this and represent consumers at the same time. Only those people whose primary experience is as a consumer can represent consumer views because their judgement is not clouded by another perspective.

What a consumer representative can contribute

A consumer representative contributes consumer perspectives to the committee's discussions. The role of the consumer representative involves:

  • Protecting the interests of consumers, service users and potential service users
  • Presenting how consumers may think and feel about certain issues
  • Contributing consumer experiences
  • Ensuring the committee recognises consumer concerns
  • Reporting the activities of the committee to consumers
  • Ensuring accountability to consumers
  • Acting as a watchdog on issues affecting consumers
  • Providing information about any relevant issues affecting consumers

CHF's Consumer Representatives Program

The aims of CHF's Consumer Representatives Program are to nominate, resource and coordinate consumer representatives for national health-related committees. This includes:

  • Nominating CHF consumer representatives who can promote consumer views to national health committees
  • Providing advice and assistance to CHF consumer representatives
  • Encouraging CHF consumer representatives to provide regular reports to health consumer organisations on the work of the committees on which they sit
  • Providing resources and workshop opportunities for CHF consumer representatives
  • Identifying committees that should have consumer representatives, so the representation can be encouraged.

How the Program operates

  • Committee secretariats request a consumer representative from CHF
  • CHF advertises these vacancies to its members each month in healthUPdate
  • Interested applicants nominate for the position. To do this, they must receive endorsement from a member organisation of CHF
  • CHF's Consumer Representatives Program Reference Group assesses the nominations received and makes recommendations on the nominations received
  • CHF's Secretariat informs all nominees and the committee secretariat of the outcome of the selection process
  • CHF's Secretariat provides ongoing support, training and network opportunities for consumer representatives as far as CHF is able within current funding constraints.