Partnering with Consumers: A guide for consumers

Partnering with Consumers: A guide for consumers

2023

Guide, user guide or guidelines

This Guide has been developed by consumers for consumers. It explains how to build and strengthen consumer partnerships at all levels of the health system.

Who is the Guide for?

This guide is for consumers who:

• Would like to know how to better communicate and partner with clinicians and health service organisations to improve their own care, as well as health services more broadly
• Would like to understand how they can become consumer advocates or consumer representatives, and what they can do to influence change
• Are already consumer representatives, advocates, advisors, members of consumer networks or organisations and would like to understand how the Partnering with Consumers Standard can support them.

It also provides a reference point for health service organisations to understand the different types and levels of consumer involvement and how consumer perspectives can improve their services.

What will you find inside the Guide?

This Guide has four chapters:

• Person-centred care
• The Standards and accreditation
• Partnering with consumers
• Building skills and consumer leadership

Each chapter has a section with reflective questions for consumers and health service organisations and a further reading section, with links to resources and extra information.

Coming soon

We will soon be releasing an educational package to support understanding and use of the Guide as well as a set of case studies to spotlight partnering with consumers in practice.