Partnering with patients for change and improvement: an Australian perspective

Australia has had long-standing involvement in engaging with consumers, encouraging their participation in a multiplicity of ways, across policy, organizational, and service delivery levels. The Consumers Health Forum of Australia is at the forefront in coordinating activities and making progress. Gains have not been made across the board, and there is lack of a coordinated, national approach in part because Australia has a federated health system. Nevertheless, there are many initiatives under way, and research to support progress is increasingly compelling. Barriers to participation include institutional, attitudinal, social, and professional constraints, but there is also evidence of increased momentum for further involving consumers in healthcare. It is hard to see how progress could be arrested but we must be vigilant as further gains are not guaranteed.