The Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF) is the national peak body representing the interests of Australian healthcare consumers. CHF works to achieve safe, quality, timely healthcare for all Australians, support by accessible health information and systems.

How and why consumers can be involved in research is a growing area of interest for CHF.  We are conducting more research projects of our own which we would like to do with greater consumer involvement. We are interested in shaping the national policy discussion about how consumer involvement in research is resourced and where it is placed, improving the confidence and skills of the research community in patient and public participation, ensuring that data collected through research is beneficial to consumers and supporting consumers to become more involved in research.

Consumer participants in the Research and Data SIG will identify what in health research matters to consumers, where improvement can be made and contribute to the cultural changes needed among researchers, academics, analysts, policy makers and the wider research and data community that are needed for sustainable improvements in consumer involvement in research. Through this group, CHF hope to provide a space for those interested in healthcare research and data to share information, communicate perspectives and workshop ideas to enact change.

This group is open to all members and consumer representatives but will be capped at 25 consumers. This cap helps keep the group manageable while assuring diversity. The group is co-facilitated by a CHF staff member and a consumer, selected by members voting.

The group is advisory to CHF, with final decisions remaining with the CHF Board.

The group does not meet face to face. Currently we use a mixture of online forums, email and teleconfencing. 

The time commitment is to attend a monthly meeting and to read documents and provide comments between meetings. No sitting fees or reimbursement is offered to participants.

To register please complete the form below.

For more information about the group please read the General Purpose & Operation guide or contact our Research & Policy Officer, James Ansell on j.ansell@chf.org.au