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 can provide an insight into how a cancer diagnosis impacts on the lives of people with cancer.

Collectively, the experiences and views of consumers identify key areas for attention to help us achieve our aims of reducing the impact of cancer on all people affected and lessening disparities for those groups that have poorer cancer outcomes.

As part of the CanNET project, Cancer Australia has commissioned a ‘national assessment of cancer care to determine the perceptions and experiences of people affected by cancer’ (CanNET Consumer Survey).

National Consumer Advisory Group

We have established a National Consumer Advisory Group to reflect the concerns of consumers and to ensure that all our work has a consumer focus.

The National Consumer Advisory Group:

• advises Cancer Australia about consumer needs and helps us better understand how the health care system affects people with cancer;
• helps us to improve the quality of, and access to, information for consumers; and
• identifies gaps in cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, psychosocial support, survival and palliative care. 

National Consumer Advisory Group members have been affected by cancer either as a person with cancer, carer, or family member of someone with cancer. Many members bring significant leadership experience in consumer and cancer organisations from around Australia and collectively the group has enormous breadth of knowledge, skills and expertise. All have come with a strong commitment to making a difference for people affected by cancer.

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.

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 National Reference Groups. Cancer Australia has selected 45 consumers to participate in these groups, following a national call for applications from individuals and nominations from cancer consumer organisations across Australia, or by invitation due to their particular experience or interests.