Partnering with consumers | Better Safer Care

Safer Care Victoria works to help consumers, health services and government work together more effectively to improve health outcomes for Victorians. This guide aims to help consumers and community stakeholders have an equal voice in quality and safety improvement activities. It is set up to help everyone understand what, why and how to partner with consumers.

Do you have feedback about this guide?

This guide is under development. If you have any feedback, please get in touch.

Have you seen our Partnering in healthcare framework?

Our Partnering in healthcare framework aims to help our hospitals improve healthcare and outcomes for Victorians by better involving patients and their families.

A guide for consumers

Are you interested in connecting with your local health service or healthcare agencies? This guide will help you get involved in key improvement decisions and activities.

A guide for health services

Partnering with consumers is an important strategy to improve your care, and also forms part of your accreditation requirements.

A guide for government

Partnering with consumers is key to driving improvements in healthcare for all Victorians.

Background

The Australian Government broadly defines consumer participation as ‘the process of involving health consumers in decision-making about health service planning, policy development, setting priorities and quality issues in the delivery of health services’. Consumers include individual patients, families, carers and communities.

There are several state, national and international policies that highlight the importance of partnering in healthcare. From Doing it with us not for us: a strategic direction 2010-2013 to the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, We support consumer voices and experiences as central to improving the health system.