22 September 2016 — Report

Consumer co-creation in health: innovating in Primary Health Networks

Consumers Health Forum, AHHA and Workshop Participants

This brief provides recommendations for health service providers including hospitals and Primary Health Networks (PHNs) to increase the role of consumers in designing healthcare services. It was put together by Policy Officer Rebecca Randall, following a workshop by AHHA and CHF, 'Consumer Engagement: How can PHNs & LHNs involve consumers in co-creation to improve healthcare?'

14 September 2016 — Presentations and Speeches

Integration of Care: Is Nirvana Possible?

Consumers Health Forum, Presented by Leanne Wells

This presentation was one of three given at the Asia Pacific Healthcare Conference (APAC 2016), as part of a session titled “Integration of Care – Consumers, Relationships and Systems – is Nirvana Possible?”.

Achieving integrated care is seen as one of the wicked problems of healthcare as systems strive to reduce defragmentation, improve care co-ordination, and ultimately improve ‘value’.

7 September 2016 — Submission

Submission to the Inquiry into Budget Savings (Omnibus) Bill 2016

Consumers Health Forum

CHF welcomed the opportunity to put in a submission on these proposed savings measures. We did not have time to consult our members explicitly on this Bill but we did consult them when the measures were announced as part of the Budget and as the measures have not changed the position remain the same.

We have commented on three of the measures in the Bill; changes to dental services, indexation of private health insurance thresholds and the abolition of the National Health Performance Authority. 

2 September 2016 — Report

BIOLOGIC AND BIOSIMILAR MEDICINES 2020: MAKING THE MOST OF THE OPPORTUNITIES

AusBiotech, CHF, Council of Australian Therapeutic Goods Advisory Group, Medicines Australia, NPS MedicineWise, The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, The Royal Australasian College of Physicians, The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia

The availability of both biologic and biosimilar medicines has the potential to make a significant positive impact on the Australian healthcare system. The Biologic and Biosimilar Medicines 2020 Forum held on the 23 June, 2016 in Sydney, brought together a broad range of representatives of the Australian healthcare industry to discuss the many opportunities and new and unique challenges the availability of both biologic and biosimilar medicines present.

The Forum included health professional, consumer, patient advocacy group, medicines industry, and policy and regulatory representation, all sharing their particular views and experience in the use of biologic and biosimilar medicines.

While Australia has taken a number of important first steps, there was an acknowledged need to bring the broad range of stakeholders together in this way to gain new insights, discuss the current framework, and future opportunities and challenges of these medicines to enable their success.

The Forum’s organising committee wish to thank the more than 80 contributing attendees. While there were a range of commonalities discussed throughout the Forum, the broad range of perspectives demonstrate the extensive opportunities and intricate challenges facing all stakeholders involved in this complex and evolving field that require further consideration and focus.

The Forum cemented that we must as ever, remain patient-focused, driven to improving patient outcomes. It is hoped the Forum’s discussions, and issues identified will complement and enhance existing and future initiatives to ensure the success of biologics and biosimilars to the benefit of Australian patients and their families.

Feedback from discussions on the day indicated an impetus to continue to jointly progress the issues raised beyond the Forum, and we hope this collaborative approach will enable the health community to continue to benefit from the opportunities biosimilars present, now and in the future. Foreword Organising

26 August 2016 — Presentations and Speeches

Consumer Driven Practice, Consumer Driven System

Consumers Health Forum, Presented by Leanne Wells

Presented by our CEO, Leanne Wells, at the 2016 Australian Physiotherapy Association Conference, Darwin. The presentation covers consumer centred practice and why it matters, health pain points, some practical considerations for physios and physio practices, and the current reform environment and where consumer centred practice fits within that with particular focus on the Health Care Homes.

5 August 2016 — Presentations and Speeches

Health Insurance Summit 2016

Leanne Wells
Can Payment Reforms Give Consumers Real Buying Power? The MyCover Plan
1 August 2016 — Report

Patient-centred Healthcare Homes in Australia - Towards Successful Implementation

CHF, The George Institute for Global Health, RACGP, Menzies Centre

In Australia we are faced with a complex health system with entrenched practices, multiple layers and stakeholders divided across Federal and State systems, which is also often hard to navigate for both patient and provider. The question we must address is how do we ensure the Health Care Home can reach its potential in Australia and deliver the best outcomes for patients? This report outlines recommendations around the following guiding principles towards successful implementation.

27 July 2016 — Position Statements

Election 2016: Putting Consumers at the Centre of Health Care - How the Parties Stack Up

Consumers Health Forum of Australia

The Consumers Health Forum scorecard on how party health policies rate against specific measures in our Election Platform shows that all major parties have some way to go to fulfill the reasonable expectations consumers have for the health system.

26 July 2016 — Presentations and Speeches

COTA National Policy Forum Presentation 2016

Consumers Health Forum
Making sure older consumers are at the centre of health care
24 July 2016 — Presentations and Speeches

Can PHNs reflect consumer priorities?

Consumers Health Forum
The new primary health networks will fail a central requirement of a contemporary health organisation if they do not respond to consumer needs. CHF CEO, Leanne Wells, had that message in a speech prepared for a conference of the National Primary and Community Health Network Australian and Institute for Primary Care and Ageing at Latrobe University.

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