Consumer Engagement

It is vital to have the patient or consumer voice at the table when health care services are being planned, reviewed and delivered. We agree with the statement that “expertise lies at both ends of the stethoscope” and consumers have the capacity to influence ongoing positive change in the health system…but it isn’t an easy task.

We need to learn to be an effective “critical friend” – someone who provides important feedback on being a health consumer, but also someone who gives constructive feedback and builds a positive conversation. Someone who can tell their own story effectively, but also move beyond their story to speak up for the people who may not be at the table.

You can get involved in a number of ways: