Implementing the Statement on Consumer and Community Participation in Health and Medical Research in Australia

2004 Conference

This report focuses on disseminating and implementing research, based on an Australian pilot. In 2004, the Consumers’ Health Forum of Australia (CHF) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHvIRC) are collaborating to implement their joint Statement on Consumer and Community Participation in Health and Medical Research.

CHF’s membership comprises over 100 Australian health consumer organisations. It provides a consumer perspective on national health issues to balance the views of health care providers, government and industry. NHMRC is Australia’s leading funding agency for health and medical research.

This action-research project focuses on two pilot sites, the National Ageing Research Institute in Melbourne and the Queensland Institute of Medical Research. These sites vary in their size, type of research and consumer links. The former has an identified consumer group of older people whilst the latter faces greater challenges in engaging consumers due to its diversity of research interests. Materials being developed include a model framework for consumer participation, resources for consumers involved in research and educational material for the NHMRC’s Human Research Ethics Handbook.

This report discusses relationship building between researchers and consumers who are sharing information about research through seminars, community events, and other methods of joint engagement.