Out of Pocket Pain Survey Sharpens Focus on CostsRead more
About Consumers Shaping Health
Consumers Shaping Health is a newsletter published by the Consumers Forum of Australia (CHF) for members, consumer representatives and stakeholders in health. It promotes current advocacy work of CHF in its three priority areas: safety and quality in health care; health care for people with chronic conditions; and safe and appropriate use of medicines.
Older issues are available, please contact us if you would like to see a back-issue not listed here.
ISSN 1835-2057 (Print) ISSN 1835-2065 (Online)
Welcome back to another year. Already much has been happening, with much more on the agenda for the year. We have a new Health Minister in Greg Hunt. In a welcome move, he reached out to CHF very early in his tenure to touch base. Tony Lawson and I had a lengthy face-to-face meeting with Minister Hunt about his vision for a national health plan and preventative health. We advocated that these undertakings need to be informed by consumer and community aspirations and expectations of our health system. The Minister agreed to work with us on a Consumer Roundtable to provide the opportunity to bring together key consumer groups and advocates to ensure that the national health plan is shaped from a consumer and community perspective. Read more
2016 draws to a close after a productive year for CHF and the wider healthcare consumer sector.Read more
This is a re-launch of the Consumers Shaping Health e-newsletter we have been sending to stakeholders for some years. Now more people than ever will be receiving it as part of our aim to reach out to as many interested people as we can. The health consumer’s role is more important than ever with both clinicians and governments realising that healthcare works best when consumers have a central say about how it is designed and delivered. Many issues like Health Care Homes, health insurance, pharmacy, health literacy and quality and safety are crucial to consumers. Consumers Shaping Health will bring to you every two months news on what CHF and others are doing to ensure the consumers have impact in national health policy.Read more
Budget 2015: CHF's initial response; Pharmacy agreement offers pills with a sugar coating; Online health records trial a big step forward; What patients want from clinicians but often don't get: being treated as an individual; Choosing Wisely; Looking for ways to engage your consumers?;...Read more
This edition contains a report of the highlights from our Members and Stakeholders Forum held in August 2015, as well as links to the presentations.Read more
CHF's new CEO; Pharmacy deal in urgent need of new script; Health Minister Ley: 'above all, consumer-focused'; Now co-pay is cremated, time to revive Medicare; Asthma Australia conference; In sickness and in health; Why do I even need this test?; "Frequent flyer" claim shown to be a sick joke...Read more
Nothing about us, without us!;Tackling obesity: Australia wants change; Price Signals and Health Hazards; Federal Government must not send medicines safety checks offshore; Thanks and farewell to Adam; The costs of chronic illness; Would you like to be part of Consumers Shaping Health?; Problems...Read more