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, supported by accessible health information and systems. CHF welcomes the
opportunity to...
CHF considers this review to be of critical importance to every Australian health consumer.
Consumers consistently raise with us their concerns about the safety and quality of medicines,
giving details of personal experiences of when the safety regime has failed them. With this in mind,
CHF...
CHF supports that any health care service be based on the principles of consumer-centred healthcare and that it considers the patient, their carer and family. The key principles of consumercentred healthcare are inclusive of safety and quality issues, cost and sustainability.
CHF has strongly opposed policies that increase consumer out-of-pocket costs through the imposition of new or increased co-payments. We have raised these concerns consistently through previous submissions to Senate Committee inquiries. CHF’s commissioned research on out-ofpocket costs highlights...
We have long been concerned about the rising out of pocket costs impacting consumers’ access to quality health care. Beginning in January 2014, we ran a survey to collect consumers’ experiences with out of pocket costs. This survey received over 500 responses, and the stories consumers told were...
Presentation by Leanne Wells, CEO, CHF, at the International Primary Health Care Reform Conference, Brisbane, March 14-16 2016.
This information is for people who want to find out more about why they have been asked
to have a diagnostic test and what it could involve – so that they can make an informed
choice about it.
CHF welcomes the review into the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Records (PCEHR) System. CHF has undertaken extensive work on eHealth, particularly in relation to the PCEHR. Our submission draws on consultations with our membership, which includes organisations advocating for disease specific groups and networks, state and territory peak consumer organisations and individual consumers. CHF’s submission also draws on consultations undertaken through our Facilitating Consumer Input on the PCEHR Project, as well as previous submissions to consultations relating to the PCEHR. CHF also conducted an eHealth consultation in Feb 2012 as part of the Community Quality Use of Medicines and Medical Tests (CQUM/T) Project.