Partnering with Consumers Standard: Enhancing Primary and Community Healthcare

The Primary and Community Healthcare Standards aim to provide safe and high-quality healthcare for primary and community services. The standards provide a person-centred approach and address the necessary processes and structures. The three Primary and Community Healthcare Standards are:

• Clinical Governance;
• Partnering with Consumers; and
• Clinical Safety.

This article discusses the Partnering with Consumers Standard, which aims to create health services that look after the needs and priorities of consumers. It does this by enabling active partnerships between consumers, clinicians and health service organisations, so they can work together.

The Partnering with Consumers Standard is part of the requirements for the Clinical Safety Standard, along with the Clinical Governance Standard.

 

What is the Partnering with Consumers Standard in healthcare?

The Partnering with Consumers Standard is vital in healthcare governance and emphasises the role of consumers. The standard aims to engage consumers in decision-making and make them partners in their healthcare. The collaboration between consumers and health service organisations represents a collaborative approach to healthcare improvement, wherein both parties contribute their unique perspectives and expertise to drive positive change. It also seeks to include them in the development of quality healthcare services.

 

The Partnering with Consumers Standard criteria

The Partnering with Consumers Standard is a vital component of healthcare accreditation processes, comprising four criteria designed to assess an organisation’s commitment to actively involving consumers in various aspects of care delivery. These criteria serve as benchmarks for evaluating an organisation’s performance in partnering with consumers and include:

• Clinical governance and quality improvement systems
• Partnering with patients in their own care
• Health literacy
• Partnering with consumers in service design

 

Clinical governance and quality improvement systems
Action 2.01

This criterion focuses on ensuring that the organisation has robust governance structures and quality improvement processes in place to support consumer involvement in decision-making and care delivery. Recognising the enhancement of outcomes through the involvement of patients in their care, it:

• promotes understanding of their role;
• enables informed decision-making; and
• fosters engagement in treatment regimens.

The ultimate goal is to actively support individuals in participating in their healthcare decisions.

 

Partnering with patients in their own care
Actions 2.02 – 2.05

Viewing patients as partners in their healthcare involves more than just recognising them. It also emphasises their active involvement in decision-making.

This approach empowers individuals to actively choose their level of engagement in their healthcare journey. The former involves including them in care decisions, while the latter emphasises their rights in the care process.

My Healthcare Rights include access, safety, respect, and privacy. It ensures that patients and healthcare providers make informed decisions and obtain consent, protecting both parties.

 

Health Literacy
Actions 2.06 – 2.07

This criterion focuses on ensuring that healthcare information is communicated in a way that is easily understandable to consumers, regardless of their health literacy level.

According to the Clinical Excellence Commission, in Australia 6 out of 10 people have low health literacy, so information needs to be clear and easy to understand. This becomes crucial for enabling individuals to provide informed consent and actively participate in their own care. Use of plain language and visual aids to communicate health information effectively and provision of resources and support to help patients navigate the healthcare system and make informed decision about their care.

 

Partnering with consumers in service design
Action 2.08

Involving consumers in service planning, design, monitoring, and evaluation ensures their opinions matter at every stage. This method creates a healthcare system where personal views greatly influence the creation, provision, and evaluation of care. Consumers, treated in various locations, actively contribute to shaping their care experiences.

Exploring effective partnerships in healthcare

Effective partnerships, rooted in dignity, respect, shared information, and active participation, enhance the healthcare experience for all stakeholders. At the individual level, partnerships involve:

• healthcare provision where people are treated with dignity and respect;
• information-sharing;
• collaborative decision-making; and
• encouraging patient participation.

At the service level, partnerships integrate consumer views into:

• planning;
• design;
• monitoring; and
• evaluation of services.

Click to view some examples on how to implement these strategies into effective and meaningful partnerships.

Clinical governance framework

The Partnering with Consumers Standard, when implemented alongside the Clinical Governance Standard, contributes to the establishment of a robust clinical governance framework. This framework ensures safe and quality healthcare and serves as the foundation for the Clinical Safety Standard. The standard specifically targets high-risk areas in primary and community healthcare.

You can read our full article on integrating Partnering with Consumers and Clinical Governance in pursuit of Clinical Safety here.

Charter of Rights

A healthcare service’s Charter of Rights describes the rights that consumers, or someone they care for, can expect when receiving healthcare. The healthcare service’s Charter of Rights should be consistent with the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights.

This charter ensures respect for the seven healthcare rights it mentions during the planning and provision of healthcare. You can learn more about how to implement the charter in your health service organisation by visiting the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (The Commission) website.

Support and Resources

The Partnering with Consumers Standard is integral to creating person-centred healthcare services. Healthcare providers, consumers, and the healthcare system should collaborate to safeguard patient rights, enhance healthcare experiences, and improve service delivery.

Undertaking accreditation for the first time can seem challenging, but comprehensive support is available. To find out more information on accreditation to the Primary and Community Standards, view our standards page or contact our team.