The newsletter of the Health Care Consumers’ Association Inc.
Volume 11 / Issue 03 / 21 February 2024 

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Our work on the Quality Use of Medicines project is progressing well. The first topic we have been focusing on is atopic dermatitis. This is more commonly known as eczema.

In the research for this project, we heard clearly that many people living with eczema find it difficult to understand how to best manage their condition and navigate the treatment maze. Educational materials can be inconsistent, and advice from online information and health professionals can be conflicting. This often leaves consumers and parents of children with eczema feeling challenged and overwhelmed from the start. Social media can be a minefield of misinformation and disinformation, particularly about the use of topical corticosteroids.

The QUM Alliance has made a one-minute video that communicates some of the challenges from the consumer perspective. You can watch it on the Medcast website here: If you only knew: We live with eczema (video).

Medcast is one of the members of the QUM Alliance, and they have also posted a blog about Eczema that people may be interested to read: Why eczema, why now? | Medcast  

Kathryn Briant is the Consumer Lead on this project. If you would like to find out more, please contact us.

The ACT Government will soon establish a taskforce to begin the planning and preparation for the health system and health workforce to deliver voluntary assisted dying services, once the legislation is enacted.

The taskforce will begin work on:

• Care and referral pathways across the health system
• Establishment of care navigation and pharmacy services
• Clinical guidelines and regulations
• Workforce training and accreditation
• Communications and engagement with the community
• Establishing a new independent review board

You can read more about the Voluntary Assisted Dying Implementation Taskforce on the ACT Government website.

HCCA is a Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA) member. One part of CAHA’s work is to help the public understand the health effects of climate change, to create political demand for robust climate-health policies, and a sustainable, resilient health care system. CAHA recently released a score card for the National Health and Climate Strategy. You can see how the Strategy scored against a range of CAHA’s priorities for action on CAHA’s website.

Darlene Cox
Executive Director

In this Issue

• Upcoming HCCA Events
• Policy and Research Update
• Health Literacy Update
• Chronic Conditions Network Update
• Consumer Involvement and Representative Opportunities
• Items of Interest

Upcoming HCCA Events

Policy and Research Update

The climate impacts of health care have been on the minds of the Policy and Research team lately. We have recently drafted a submission to the ACT Legislative Assembly’s Inquiry into Climate Change and a Just Transition. You can see the Terms of Reference for this inquiry on the ACT Parliament website.

You, our members, also recently helped us with your input to HCCA’s submission to the ACT Legislative Assembly’s Inquiry into Bushfire Preparedness. You can find HCCA’s submission on the Parliament ACT Website, listed at number 06. Our submission focuses on the health impacts of bushfire, and support for ACT residents with chronic health conditions and with disability in a bushfire event.

— the Policy and Research team
(Jess, Stephen, and Shivana)

The Senate Community Affairs References Committee has launched an inquiry into Issues Related to Menopause and Perimenopause. You can read about the inquiry, including the terms of reference, on the Parliament of Australia website.

This inquiry will cover a range of issues including health and economic impacts, access to health care, social and cultural factors, and impact on caring responsibilities.

HCCA will be making a submission to this inquiry. If you are interested in contributing to HCCA’s submission, please get in touch with Jessica Lamb at [email protected] or on (02) 6230 7800 by Monday 26 February 2024.

Health Literacy Update

Presentations to community groups are in full swing, with C presenting to seniors at Communities@Work in Holder, and Ivapene presenting to:

• Dementia ACT group in Deakin
• With Chelsea (Community Care Program) presenting to the Adult Migrant English Program students at Max Solutions
• Samoan Community on the Samoan Community Radio program with Theresa Maiava and Iolesina Silipa.

Many thanks to the kind folk at CMCF for sharing their stall with us!

— the Health Literacy team
(C and Ivapene)

ANU Psychology Clinic is running a free 12-week program for people with long term health conditions to learn skills for body acceptance and wellbeing. This is part of their research into positive body image. For more information, call them on 6125 8498.

Chronic Conditions Network Update

The first Chronic Conditions Network meeting for 2024 is fast approaching and we are looking forward to catching up with our Network members to give them updates on the HealthPathways feedback project we did in 2023, and the Take Control, Live Well program from Canberra Health Services.

Last week we commenced our first offshoot of the Chronic Conditions Network; a working group on Chronic Conditions in Schools. This working group is made up of members from Epilepsy ACT, Asthma Australia, ACT Public Schools, and the ACT Education Directorate. We will be working together over the next six months to streamline the training, support, and resources Epilepsy ACT and Asthma Australia can offer schools through the ACT Education Directorate.

— Michelle
Chronic Conditions Network Coordinator

Consumer Involvement and Representative Opportunities

Please visit Consumer Opportunities on the HCCA website to learn more about, and nominate for, any of the following opportunities.

 New!  Closing date: Wednesday, 20 March 2024

HCCA is currently looking for a new member to join our Consumer Participation Committee (CPC). The CPC oversees HCCA’s Consumer Participation Program and decides which consumers to endorse for committees.

To learn more, please visit the Consumer Opportunities page on our website.

 New!  Closing date: Tuesday, 12 March 2024

North Canberra Hospital is looking for a consumer representative to sit on the Medication Safety Committee.

The committee works to ensure the safe, effective, and efficient use of medications at North Canberra Hospital for quality patient care.

To learn more, please visit the Consumer Opportunities page on our website.

 New!  Closing date: Tuesday, 12 March 2024

ACT Health Directorate is looking for a consumer representative to sit on the Community Assistance and Temporary Supports (CATS) Program Steering Group. The committee's role is to find and solve problems that affect how the Community Assistance and Temporary Supports (CATS) Program is run and delivered.

To learn more, please visit the Consumer Opportunities page on our website.

Closing date: Tuesday, 12 March 2024

North Canberra Hospital (NCH) is looking for a consumer representative to sit on the Clinical Governance Committee. The committee’s role is to set the strategic direction for NCH. They set out the big goals and make sure the hospital is on track to meet them.

To learn more, please visit the Consumer Opportunities page on our website.

Closing date: Tuesday, 12 March 2024

Canberra Health Services is looking for a consumer representative to sit on the Women’s Health Service Nursing and Medical Service Steering Committee. This committee is a strategic forum to plan and decide the future approach to the Women’s Health Service Nursing and Medical model of care.

To learn more, please visit the Consumer Opportunities page on our website.

Closing date: Tuesday, 12 March 2024

Canberra Health Services is looking for a consumer representative to join the Bariatric Surgery Advisory Committee. The committee assesses and prioritises patients for publicly-funded metabolic bariatric surgery.

To learn more, please visit the Consumer Opportunities page on our website.

 Closing Soon!  Closing date: Wednesday, 6 March 2024

Canberra Health Services (CHS) is looking for a consumer representative to join their Policy Committee. This committee helps create, check, and keep track of CHS policy documents, to make sure they are clear, evidence-based and help provide the best care possible.

The Policy Document Review Panel is a sub-committee that reports to the CHS Policy Committee. The panel endorses policy documents and ensures that they are short, easy to find and understand, and that relevant stakeholders have been consulted.

To learn more, please visit the Consumer Opportunities page on our website.

 Closing Soon!  Closing date: Wednesday, 6 March 2024

Canberra Health Services is looking for a consumer representative to join the Radiation Safety Management Committee. The committee’s main job is to promote and ensure the safe use of medical radiation, including both diagnostic use (such as medical imaging) and therapeutic use (such as cancer treatment). 

To learn more, please visit the Consumer Opportunities page on our website.

 Closing Soon!  Closing date: Thursday, 29 February 2024

Researchers at Bond University are working with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners on a project to improve the use of non-drug interventions (NDIs) in primary care. NDIs are treatments like exercise, physical therapies, diets, or psychological interventions, instead of medications.

The researchers invites consumers to participate in a 1-hour Zoom interview to share your experiences with non-drug interventions. As a thank-you, participants will receive a $50 online gift card after completing the interview. The deadline to express interest is Thursday, 29 February.

For more information, download the participant information for this research.

If you are interested in taking part, please email Dr Alexandra (Ali) Davidson at [email protected].

The ACT Health Directorate (ACTHD) is offering Safewards Champion training to clinicians (nurses, doctors, allied health) to teach them about the Safewards Model and how to use it in their workplace.

They are looking for consumers who are interested in attending one of the training dates to provide feedback on whether the training is patient-centred, helps with recovery, and is culturally safe.

To learn more, please visit the Consumer Opportunities page on our website.

 Closing Soon!  Closing date: Friday, 1 March 2024

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) publishes important information such as safety updates and recalls on their website and social media channels. They also produce information targeted to consumers and health professionals.

The TGA wants your feedback on:

• Accessing information on their website
• What type of information is most useful
• What platforms (TGA website, app, or social media) are best to share the information
• Your experiences reporting adverse events (from therapeutic goods) to the TGA

Share your thoughts by filling out the survey here: How can the TGA improve the way consumers and health professionals access information on therapeutic goods and report adverse events.

The survey will close 11:59pm AEDT, 1 March 2024.

Items of Interest

Deakin Private Hospital is opening a new specialised unit offering support to military and first responders dealing with PTSD and trauma. The unit will open on 4 March 2024, and they are accepting referrals now. To learn more, visit the Deakin Private Hospital website.

Get a team together and join the Dementia Demolition Squad for a fun-filled trivia night on Saturday, 2 March, to raise money for dementia research.

Tickets are $40 each or $350 for a table of 10 and include finger food and lucky door prize tickets.

Visit the TryBooking page to learn more about the raffle and lucky door prizes available so far, and to book your tickets: C is for CURE - Dementia Trivia Night Fundraiser Tickets.

**FREE interpreter services available over the phone via the Australian Government’s Translation and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450**

© 2024 Health Care Consumers' Association Inc, All rights reserved. Edited by Kate Gorman.

Our mailing address is:
100 Maitland St, Hackett ACT 2602
02 6230 7800

Consumer Bites is the newsletter of the Health Care Consumers' Association. Consumer Bites provides a small snippet of health related articles our members might find interesting to consider and analyse. The HCCA does not endorse any opinions or the claims contained within the articles.

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