Consumer involvement
People affected by cancer (consumers) have a unique contribution to make in providing advice to Cancer Australia. Consumers of cancer services include people with cancer, their carers and families. Their journey through the cancer continuum (from screening or diagnosis through the various types of treatment and follow-up) can provide an insight into how a cancer diagnosis impacts on the lives of people.
Collectively, the experiences and views of consumers help identify key areas that will assist in reducing the impact of cancer on all people affected and lessening disparities for those groups that have poorer cancer outcomes.
National Consumer Advisory Group
Cancer Australia has a National Consumer Advisory Group to reflect matters of concern to consumers and to ensure that our work incorporates a consumer perspective.
National Consumer Advisory Group members are people from around Australia who have been affected by cancer either personally, or as a carer or family member of someone with cancer. Many members bring significant leadership experience in consumer and cancer organisations and collectively the group has enormous breadth of knowledge, skills and expertise. All members are committed to making a difference for people affected by cancer.
The National Consumer Advisory Group provides expert advice to Cancer Australia on current and emerging issues that affect consumers. This advice relates to Cancer Australia's specified work program.
The National Consumer Advisory Group works collaboratively with Cancer Australia's National Advisory Groups and other working groups, and its priorities are to:
- engage consumers in Cancer Australia’s work to reduce the disparity in outcomes for people and communities affected by cancer;
- improve the quality of, and access to consumer information about cancer services;
- enable better consumer involvement and choice in treatment options, decision-making, access to clinical trials and research;
- strengthen the availability of coordinated, quality support for people affected by cancer;
- advise Cancer Australia about consumer needs and help make clear how the health care system affects people with cancer; and
- identify gaps in cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, psychosocial support, survival and palliative care.
The group has identified three priority areas of work:
- improving consumer access to nationally consistent and accurate information about cancer;
- increasing involvement of consumers in all decision-making throughout the cancer journey; and
- ensuring that quality psychosocial support is provided for consumers from diagnosis through to survivorship, and palliative and supportive care.
As part of their work, Cancer Australia's National Consumer Advisory Group have developed a Consumer Values Statement (PDF 29KB) outlining key values they believe should be incorporated throughout Cancer Australia's activities.
Consumer participation
To ensure consumer interests are paramount in all our program development and planning, we aim to include at least two consumer representatives with relevant knowledge and experience on each of our National Advisory Groups and other working groups.
Cancer Australia has selected up to 50 consumers to participate in these groups and they form the Cancer Australia Consumer Network. These consumers were selected following a national call for applications from individuals and nominations from cancer organisations across Australia, or by invitation due to their particular experience or interests.
As part of the CanNET project, Cancer Australia commissioned a ‘national assessment of cancer care to determine the perceptions and experiences of people affected by cancer’ (CanNET Consumer Survey).
Consumers are also involved in evaluating research grant applications.
