Health policy
A proposal for the Federal Election from the National Oral Health Alliance
Statement from the National Oral Health Alliance
AIHPS Consumer Engagement in Australian Health Policy
These six documents and reports produced by The Australian Institute of Health Policy Studies (AIHPS) for the project Consumer Engagement in Australian Health Policy: Investigating Current Approaches and Developing New Models for More Effective Consumer Participation
Advocacy in Action: a toolkit for Public Health Professionals
The toolkit is a practical resource that supports and encourages health professionals and interested organisations to engage in advocacy.
The Advocacy in Action toolkit:
Demystifies advocacy,
Includes examples and case studies demonstrating how advocacy strategies can be applied across different issues,
Offers tips to effectively work with the media, and
Provides practical tools to help you and your organisation advocate on your issue.
The second edition of the Advocacy in Action toolkit features more examples and case studies, a comprehensive guide to evaluation, and more tips on working with the media.
Australia's Health 2010 - in brief
Australian Intitute of Health and Welfare
Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights
The Charter specifies the key rights of patients and consumers when seeking or receiving healthcare services and was developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, following an extensive national consultation process.
PDF and audio file avaliable
Australian Health Policy Institute (AHPI)
This site offers news and policy papers and policy analysis projects about contemporary policy topics.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
This website is a 'one-stop info-shop' for people interested in improving the health of Indigenous Australians. It has a large range of resources to use in policy and practice, and also provides 'yarning places' to encourage information-sharing and collaboration.
Australian Institute of Health Policy Studies
This is a national institute which studies the ways in which health policy can improve the health of all Australians.
Australian Policy online (APO)
This website offers information about Australian social, economic, cultural and political research.
Building on Values: The Future of Health Care in Canada
In 2001 the Privy Council of Canada, at the direction of the Prime Minister, authorised a Royal Commission into Canada’s Medicare system as there had been widespread concern about the direction health care in Canada was taking. This article examines the reasons for the Royal Commission, its findings, and their relevance to the Australian heath care system.
Building on Values: The Future of Health Care in Canada Report
This is the final report of the Canadian review of health services conducted in 2002. The report had a very strong level of consultation involvement.
Centre for health Policy, Programs and Economics (CHPPE)
The site offers information about the Centre’s work including health policy, program evaluation, health economics, epidemiology, social sciences and research methodology.
The CIV is a collaborative project hosted by the McCaughey Centre, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne. This web site includes local community wellbeing indicators to improve citizen engagement, community planning and policy making.
Community and consumer participation framework
This framework provides health service managers and service providers within Central Northern Adelaide Health Service with an overarching structure for the development of local strategies and action plans for community and consumer participation and describes the principles in which we will operate
Consumer Engagement in Australian Health Policy
The Australian Institute of Health Policy Studies is undertaking this project with the aim of developing more effective models in the future. The first stage of the project is a literature review which explores current approaches and compares them to the methods used in other sectors and overseas. It includes examples of consumer involvement in the policy-making process
Consumer Views on the Implementation of the Health Records Act (Vic) 2001
In April 2001, the Victorian Parliament passed the Health Records Act (Vic) 2001. The legislation came into effect from July 2002. The Act establishes important new standards of consumer protection in relation to the handling and privacy of health information, including the management of disputes over consumer access to their health records. The Office of the Health Services Commissioner (OHSC) funded Health Issues Centre to convene a Consumer Reference Group on the Health Records Act and prpepare this report.
This policy document developed by the Victorian Department of Human Services describes the strategic direction in consumer, carer and community participation across the Victorian health services system. A strategic direction paper is also available.
Doing it with us not for us. Strategic direction 2010–13
This document outlines the new Strategic direction 2010-13 for Doing it with us not for us and builds upon the first term of the policy. The policy’s aim, objectives and priority actions remain but new standards, indicators and targets have been set. Importantly, the scope of the standards, indicators and targets encompass all the public health care sectors in Victoria.
Engaging Consumers in decsions about Australian Health Care Policy:Emerging Key Themes
Engaging Consumers in discussion about Australian health policy: Emerging key themes
A strong patients’ voice to drive better health in Europe Conference on Health Literacy 8-9 April 2008 Main conclusions and recommendations
Seven main conclusions and a series of recommendations are presented in a five pages document. One of the main conclusions is that “from a patient’s perspective, the knowledge and competence gained through health literacy lead to the strength and empowerment needed to manage well a disease/condition and its impacts on quality of life”.
Family caregivers, patients and physicians: ethical guidance to optimize
A new position paper from the American College of Physicians (ACP) provides ethical guidance to physicians for developing mutually supportive patient-physician-caregiver relationships.
The Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) prepared a Brief in response to the The National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission’s ‘Denticare Australia’ Proposals. The Good public health policy was published in November 2009.
Health Consumers Alliance of South Australia
The alliance is a not-for-profit, peak community organization for health consumers using heath services in South Australia. The Alliance aims to taken and active role in the development of health policy and supports community members to achieve beneficial changes in the health system.
Health Issues Centre Journal on Human rights, health and healthcaere submission information
Health Issues Centre Journal on Human rights, health and healthcare
The deadline for articles September 7, 2009
We welcome you to write your reflections, experiences and stories about the interconnections between human rights, health and healthcare, both from the perspectives of health services and consumers. Consumer stories about how you have used your rights to advocate for changes to the care and treatment you or others have received. Health services stories about how you have used the values and standards of human rights, including the Victorian Charter, to strengthen healthcare delivery and development. Even if you are only at the beginning of a process your contribution is important.
Health Literacy- A vital ingredient
Behavioral change campaigns have limited if any effect on pope with low literacy and therefore inadvertently health inequalities are increased. All government departments that produce health information for the general public and health services have a responsibility to facilitate all people’s access to health information.
Improving the Culture of Hospitals for ATSI patients
A research project that will provide concrete resources to assist hospitals improve the quality and sustainability of services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients
Integrating Health Literacy in Prevention Programs
Presentations from the Institute Of Medicine Workshop on Integrating Health Literacy in Prevention Programs. The workshop was held on September 15, 2009 in the Washington Plaza Hotel located at 10 Thomas Circle, NW in Washington DC.
This independent health charity aims to support the health and health care of the people of London by influencing health policy and stimulating good practice in service provision
New Matida is an independent online magazine and policy portal commenting on significant issues in Australia and overseas, including health. It promotes truth in public life, policy based on the public good, and citizen power in decision making. Try their free trial subscription or subscribe to also get access to their discussion forum and group blog.
New indicators for consumer, carer and community participation
The Statewide Quality Branch of the Department of Human Services has commissioned Health Issues Centre to develop a comprehensive suite of consumer, carer and community performance indicators for Victorian health services.
This organisation works with patients, professionals and policy makers to promote understanding of the patient's perspective at all levels of healthcare policy and practice.
Primary Health Care Reform: Does it need to be so hard? by Rod Wilson
I am somewhat perplexed by the number of reviews being conducted by the Commonwealth Government into the future of the health care system in Australia. These reviews must be generating countless thousands of
submissions, meetings, briefs and reports, keeping a lot of bureaucrats and experts very busy, and, let’s hope, ultimately productive. I would have thought that the best way to look at reform is to have a vision, or even an idea about what we want the system to look like and then work towards this. Policy analysts, health care professionals and the community seem to find it impossible to describe what they want in a health care system.
Public Health Association of Australia
This organisation provides a forum for the exchange of ideas, knowledge and information on public health. The Association is also involved in advocacy for public health policy, development, research and training. There are special interest groups pages on the site and each state and territory has a branch with its own online discussion forum. It is worth browsing the forums outside your home state to find papers on ethics, health inequalities and social determinants of health.
QQUIP – the Quest for Quality and Improved Performance
This website provides a source of independent data and commentary about the quality and performance of health care in England
Response to Because Mental Health Matters
In July 2008, Health Issues Centre provided to the Victorian Department of Human Services their response to the department’s consultation paper, Because Mental Health Matters: A New Focus for Mental Health and Wellbeing in Victoria.
Response to Draft Cancer Patient Management Framework
Health Issues Centre submitted a response to the Victorian Department of Human Service's Draft Cancer Patient Management Framework.
Response to Draft Public Health Act
Health Issues Centre submitted a response to the Draft Public Health Act in January 2006.
Response to General Practice Division Victoria's National Primary Health Policy
In March 2005, General Practice Division Victoria (GPDV) produces its Policy Issues Paper No 22: The Need for a National Primary Health Policy and called for comments. Health Issues Centre's response agreed that the current model of primary care is unsustainable and supports GPDV in their call for a national policy. However, Health Issues Centre argues that the issues addressed in the paper should be seen in the context of the need for a wider national reform agenda.
Response to Principles and Guidelines for Newborn Screening
Health Issues Centre commented on the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council (AHMAC) discussion paper concerning the principles and guidelines for newborn screening across Australia.
Response to the Department of Health and Ageing Towards a National Primary Health Care Strategy
Health Issues Centre's Response
Submission on the Proposed Health and Social Services Access Card
Access Card
In July 2006, Health Issues Centre made a submission to the Access Card Consumer and Privacy Taskforce on the Proposed Health and Social Services Access Card.
Submission to Australian 2020 Summit
In April 2008, Health Issues Centre made a submission to the Australian 2020 Summit on the topic of: A long-term national health strategy—including the challenges of preventative health, workforce planning and the ageing population.
Submission to Exposure Draft of Human Services (Enhanced Service Delivery) Bill 2007
Health Issues Centre made a submission to the Victorian Department of Human Services in January 2007 concerning the Enhanced Service Delivery Bill 2007.
Submission to Victorian Health Act 1958
In August 2004, the Victorian Department of Human Services released a Discussion Paper, Review of the Health Act 1958: A New Legislative Framework for Public Health in Victoria, for public comment. Health Issues Centre's submission to this Review makes recommendations about amending the Health Act 1958 (Vic) to provide a legal structure for a broader policy framework for improving public health effort across Victoria.
Submission to the National Health Privacy Code
This submission responds to the National Health Privacy Code (draft) prepared by the Australian Health Minister's Advisory Council National Health Privacy Working Group and released for public comment in December 2002.
Sustain advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity. Via its Community Mapping Project, Sustain's Food Poverty Network aims to enable people to understand their local food economies and develop solutions to the problems they face in obtaining a healthy diet for themselves and their families. The project emphasises participation, action and ownership at every stage of the process by all people involved
The Australian Health Care Reform Alliance (AHCRA)
Conversations with Australians: the first step
This summary report details the process and key findings from a pilot, small-scale consultation with 180 Australians on the future of the health care system. The consultations were conducted between March and June 2006 and preliminary findings presented at the Australian Health Care Reform Summit in July 2007
Victorian Department of Human Services
The Victorian Department of Human Services supports a range of initiatives which promote and support consumer involvement in decision-making about their own treatment and care, in service development and quality improvement, and more broadly, in health policy developments.
IAPO's survey on perceptions of healthcare among patients' organisation members in Canada, Nigeria, and 10 European Union member states found strongly shared views. Recurring themes were the need for timely access to the best treatment and information, and belief in patients' rights to participate in decisions about their health care and in health care policy making.
