NPS MedicineWise commits to involving consumers in our work. Consumers can influence what we do and take part in the creation of our programs, products and services. The organisational strategy makes clear this commitment.
Our Consumer Engagement Framework outlines the principles, which guide our approach:
Participation
Consumers have the right to take part in decisions about their own health, well-being and welfare.
We use many methods to involve consumers and aim to hear from those who have the greatest need and the least opportunity to influence.
Diversity
Consumers and their families/significant others are a diverse group. This may be due to their health, the medicines they take, or medical tests they have, as well as cultural, age, gender, socio-cultural, economic and geographic circumstance.
Engagement opportunities need a range of options that are accessible, inclusive and flexible.
Leadership and support
Organisational culture must support and value consumer engagement, through leadership, knowledge, skills and processes.
Meaningful and mutual benefit
All consumer engagement activities are meaningful and involve consumers at the earliest opportunity. We clearly identify and explain their role and ability to influence outcomes.
Accountability
Consumer engagement activities are clear and have measurable criteria. Continuous improvement is incorporated through regular review and evaluation.
Respect and value
The needs of consumers and their families/significant others, benefits of consumer engagement and processes are respected and valued.
Evaluating consumer engagement
The purpose of evaluating consumer engagement activities is to measure the:
- primary objectives and key performance indicators of the program (i.e., measuring health literacy and awareness of quality use of medicines [QUM])
- level of engagement with consumers, consumer representatives, communities and consumer organisations
- level of impact of consumer engagement activities on target audiences.
Evaluation plan
This document outlines the the types of evaluation to be conducted, evaluation questions, key performance and impact measures and selected methods of evaluation.
Process evaluation
Gives information about the implementation or delivery of a program, project or activity once operational.
Impact evaluation
Measures the effect of a program, project or activity. It assesses short-term or intermediate changes.
The National Consumer Survey measures consumer awareness of QUM and consumer health literacy over time.
Other Consumer Engagement Activities
Consumer representatives on advisory groups
Including consumer representatives at every level of organisational governance keeps health consumers at the centre of all discussions as it relates to QUM/health technologies.
Consumer representatives raise concerns and views, ask questions, test assumptions and identify gaps, helping us see beyond the clinical perspective.
Partnership with consumer and community organisations
NPS MedicineWise works with many consumer and community organisations to:
- contribute to NPS MedicineWise programs and services
- raise awareness of QUM and build health literacy for their community audience
- promote programs, resources and other opportunities.
Health literacy
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care defines how people understand information about health and health care, and how they act on it. Health literacy affects all areas of medicine selection, use and adherence. People with low health literacy are more likely to have medicine errors and worse health outcomes.
Training and supporting staff
NPS MedicineWise has provided extensive and ongoing training to staff to build capacity, capability and sustainability around consumer engagement.