October 2019

"Everyone is committed and passionate and contributing towards making a difference..."
A word with... Setchen Brimson

Setchen Brimson is Murrumbidgee Local Health District’s (LHD’s) Marketing & Community Engagement Manager, based in Wagga Wagga.

Here, she tells us about the work Murrumbidgee LHD does with health consumer representatives and the challenges and rewards of health consumer engagement in this rural setting.

What would you say are the biggest challenges that health consumer representatives and engagement staff face in working together to achieve positive changes in health service planning and delivery in your region?

One of the most challenging aspects of working with consumer representatives is the variety and range of experiences, expectations and perceptions of the communities that we serve.

Communication is key to ensuring everyone is on the same page, working together for a common goal. Understanding that there will always be different view-points, ideas and pathways to achieving goals is essential to success, along with respectful conversations.

And what makes your job great? What are the rewards for you – and the health consumer representatives you work with?

What I love most about my job is working with such a great variety of people from such interesting backgrounds. Everyone is committed and passionate and contributing to making a difference and improving health outcomes. I really feel like together we make a difference.

Read the full interview with Setchen here.

Consumer representative and staff training

We have a range of trainings that we can deliver at your health service for your consumer representatives or your staff. Choose from one or two-day trainings for consumer representatives or half-day and one-day trainings for staff.

Contact our Training Manager, Emma Collins, for more information:

Email: ecollins@hcnsw.org.au
Phone: (02) 9986 1082

www.hcnsw.org.au/training

News and current affairs

Mental health still the number one reason people visit their GP, report finds

Read complete ABC News article

'Mental health issues are driving Australians to visit their GP more than any other health concern. But GPs say they're struggling to keep up with demand because mental healthcare is complex and often requires more time than a standard consultation allows.

A survey of 1,200 GPs published today by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) found two in three doctors reported "psychological issues" as the most common ailment they now treated.

"If you think about where you can go if you've got a mental health issue, there are very few places," said Harry Nespolon, president of the RACGP.'

Health professionals and complementary therapies: what can consumers reasonably expect?

Read complete croakey article

'Robin Brown, who has a long history of working in government accountability and consumer advocacy, writes that consumers expect that health professionals who offer, recommend, or refer for any therapeutic good or service, do so with at least some evidence of efficacy – and that they will carry their professional ethics into any business activities outside clinical practice.

Here, Brown explores some of the grey areas for health practitioners who wish to use complementary, unconventional or emerging therapies. The Medical Board of Australia is currently developing guidelines, with the aim of clearer regulation of doctors who provide such treatments.

Brown writes that this is an area that is ripe for the regulators of all the health professions.'

Out of pocket

Out of pocket (OOP) health costs continue to haunt the health system in Australia. Last week's SBS Insight program - Is private health care worth the premium price tag? - interviewed several people who suffered financially and physically because of OOP expenses.

That follows the release earlier this month of an academic article in Australian Health Review which finds that OOP health expenditure as a proportion of household spending on all goods and services increased by more than 25 per cent between 2009-10 and 2015-16. Access the study here.

Have your say

CONSUMER REPRESENTATIVE - RESEARCH PROJECT

Advise researchers at NICM about a clinical depression study

Deadline: Monday, 7 October 2019
Who: NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University

Researchers, academics and clinicians at NICM in Western Sydney are currently forming a clinical study for treating Clinical Depression.

The research team is looking for three health consumers with previous experience of depression, who are currently in a stable mood, to advise the researchers about the utility of their clinical trial to potentially help people with depression.

The conversation will approximately last about one hour and would take place in October 2019 at a time convenient to you.

Find out more and become involved.

NATIONAL OPPORTUNTIES

For national opportunities in health consumer representation that are run by the Consumers Health Forum of Australia please visit their Committee vacancies webpage.

Events, workshops and more

19th Australian Conference on haemophilia, VWD & rare bleeding disorders

One of our voting member organisations, the Haemophilia Foundation Australia, is holding its 19th Australian Conference on haemophilia, VWD & rare bleeding disorders at the Novotel Manly, Sydney, 10-12 October 2019.

The conference brings together people with bleeding disorders and their families and carers, as well as health professionals, policymakers and industry. It is a great opportunity to learn, discuss and plan for the future.

The theme of the Conference, Challenging the Status Quo sets the program up for interesting discussion, debate and opportunities to build a better future.

Find out more about the conference.

Resources

Drug and Alcohol support - where to get help - multicultural resources

Access the videos on YouTube

The Illawarra Cultural & Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Local Drug Action Team, in partnership with Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) has developed new film resources to assist community members from new and emerging language backgrounds and their families to understand how to access drug and alcohol information and support.

The resources were announced as Winner in the 2019 NSW Multicultural Health Communication Awards in the category of Patients and Consumers as Partners.

The videos “ Where can I get help when drugs or alcohol are a problem?”, are available in 15 languages

Academics and studies

Health Expectations: issue on patient involvement

Download the open-access journal

The international journal of public participation in health care and health policy - Health Expectations - has a whole issue on patient involvement.

The August edition, published in September 2019 can be found in the Wiley Online Library - all open access.

Become a HCNSW member - it's free to join!