Women's Health Action Consumer Centre

An area of special interest for Women's Health Action is consumer representation in policy, planning and health care implementation, and the allied topic of consultation.

We have worked on many committees developing guidelines, standards and performance indicators. We have participated in health services audits, external reviews of services and have played a significant role at three major inquiries: the Cartwright Inquiry into inadequate treatment of women with cervical abnormalities at National Women's Hospital (1987-88), the Baby Physiotherapy Inquiry into injuries and deaths among pre-term neonates at National Women's Hospital and the Gisborne Inquiry Into Under-Reporting of Women's Cervical Smears (2000).

We continually argue for a more powerful consumer voice in the health sector in New Zealand.

We have been at the forefront in developing education/information resources for consumers that adopt an evidence-based approach, and promote partnership models of health care delivery and informed decision-making.

Overseas projects - here are listed overseas projexts with a special interest in community-based and consumer consultation

1. Consumer representation & consultation

2. Evidence-based health care & guidelines

3. Direct-to-consumer advertising

4. Sexual abuse in Doctor-Patient relationships

Sexual predators prove elusive - WHW Dec 2006
Submission on Draft Paper: Boundaries for the doctor-patient relationship - January 2004
Sexual boundaries update - WHW Sept 2002
Sexual misconduct update - WHW March 2002
Update on sexual boundaries in the doctor/patient relationship - WHW Dec 2001
Sexual boundaries and doctors - WHW Jun 2001
Dealing with sexual abuse by doctors - WHW Dec 2000
All fired up over Fahey - WHW Sept 2000

5. Pharmac Consumer Advisory Committee

6. Trans -Tasman agency to regulate therapeutic products

Projects etc

Overseas Projects

Public Policy and Public Participation: Engaging Citizens and Community in the Development of Public Policy

Public Policy and Public Participation: Engaging Citizens and Community in the Development of Public Policy. 2003.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/regions/atlantic/pdf/pub_policy_partic_e.pdf
is now available from Health Canada/SantŽ Canada, Population and Public Health Branch/Direction gŽnŽrale de la santŽ de la population et de la santŽ publique

Women in Public Policy Initiative (WIPP)

The Women in Public Policy Initiative (WIPP) has recently completed Equality-Based Public Policy Development: Views from the Field (August 2003). This report is an analysis and evaluation of its earlier document, Steps Toward a Credible and Inclusive Public Policy Process. The report contains the views of those involved with community-based organizations and with three levels of government across the country on what is needed to increase the inclusion of community-based, equality seeking perspectives and experiences in the development of public policy. The National Advisory Committee of WIPP is currently exploring how to ensure that the recommended actions identified by the contributors to this research are followed up on in a next phase of this initiative. For copies of the report or further information, please go to http://dawn.thot.net/wipp or email webjacob@web.ca

Women's Health Planning Project, Vancouver/Richmond Health Board, Canada

Women's Health Planning Project, Vancouver/Richmond Health Board, Canada Public involvement is one of the guiding principles of the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board. To act upon this principle, it has created fifteen Public Advisory Committees comprising geographic Community Health Committees and population specific Population Health Advisory Committees. The role of these committees is to bring the public's perspective to policy development and health and health services planning for the region. A Women's Health Planning Project was undertaken, by the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board and the Women's Advisory Committee under the direction of the BC's Women's Hospital and Health Centre. The Project employed a unique structure and process involving women from the community as equal partners with a broad range of acute and community sector service providers, policy makers and researchers. The Project report contains community profiles that combine traditional health status indicators with key social determinants and thereby provides a snapshot of the health and lives of women in specific geographic areas. In addition, while emphasising the need to collect and analyse gendered data, the project report provides a comprehensive profile with recommendations on three key areas of women's health: violence, mental health and heart health. The work of the Women's Health Project is ongoing. A Women's Health Planning Project Task Force has been created to expedite implementation of Project recommendations. An outgrowth of the Project has been the creation of the Vancouver/Richmond Women's Health Network. The network meetings provide a way for women to meet and share information and concern about Women's health and health services. They also help the Women's Advisory Committee to communicate with women and service providers in order to ensure a continuing voice for the many perspectives in planning for women's health. The Women's Health Planning Project Report with Supplementary Appendices including the Foundation Document: Conceptual Planning Framework is available on our web site http://www.vcn.bc.ca/vrhb . For more information contact Ellen Le Fevre, Community Developer.

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	An area of special interest for Women's Health Action is consumer representation in policy, planning and health care implementation, and the allied topic of consultation. We have worked on many committees developing guidelines, standards and performance indicators. We have participated in health services audits, external reviews of services and have played a significant role at three major inquiries: the Cartwright Inquiry into inadequate treatment of women with cervical abnormalities at National Women's Hospital (1987-88), the Baby Physiotherapy Inquiry into injuries and deaths among pre-term neonates at National Women's Hospital and the Gisborne Inquiry Into Under-Reporting of Women's Cervical Smears (2000). We continually argue for a more powerful consumer voice in the health sector in New Zealand. We have been at the forefront in developing education/information resources for consumers that adopt an evidence-based approach, and promote partnership models of health care delivery and informed decision-making. Overseas projects - here are listed overseas projexts with a special interest in community-based and consumer consultation 1. Consumer representation & consultation Pharmaceutical funding for patient advocacy groups - WHW June 2006 Consumer Reference Group of the National Screening Unit - WHU January 2006 Getting a ‘Fair Go’? Do consumers really moan to the media - WHW May 2005 Funding health and advocacy groups - WHW May 2005 An effective consumer voice in health - WHU Oct 2004 Consumer reference group for breast & cervical screening programmes (report on the outcome of a WHA consultation regarding setting up the group) - WHW Sept 2001 Consumer Reference Group for the National Cervical Screening Programme and BreastScreen Aotearoa. Recommendations of the Women's Health Action and Te Tapu o te Wahine Reports Guidelines for the involvement of consumers in guideline development Guidelines for the payment of consumer representatives Strategies for institutions, agencies and professional organisations to develop working partnerships with the community and consumer groups Consumer reps on screening group, WHU Oct 1999 Government-run consumer groups - a contradiction in terms (critique of National Health Committee plan to train consumer representatives), WHW June 1998 2. Evidence-based health care & guidelines Interpreting science, Judi Strid, (report on Cochrane Colloquium, October 1997), WHW Dec 1997 'Best practice' guidelines or 'paupers' guidelines, Sandra Coney, (report on National Guidelines Conference, Wellington 6-7 June 1997), WHW July 1997 The Cochrane Collaboration: An exciting new opportunity for consumers (report on the Cochrane initiative including structure), WHW Dec 1996/Jan 1997 More sexism, (comment on male bias in appointments to National Health Committee, the former Core Services Committee. Also comment of role of NHC), WHW April 1996 3. Direct-to-consumer advertising 4. Sexual abuse in Doctor-Patient relationships Sexual predators prove elusive - WHW Dec 2006 Submission on Draft Paper: Boundaries for the doctor-patient relationship - January 2004 Sexual boundaries update - WHW Sept 2002 Sexual misconduct update - WHW March 2002 Update on sexual boundaries in the doctor/patient relationship - WHW Dec 2001 Sexual boundaries and doctors - WHW Jun 2001 Dealing with sexual abuse by doctors - WHW Dec 2000 All fired up over Fahey - WHW Sept 2000 5. Pharmac Consumer Advisory Committee Pharmac Consumer Advisory Committe Member List for Public Dissemination Consumer Advisory Committee meeting, Wednesday 28 August 2002 6. Trans -Tasman agency to regulate therapeutic products back to top Projects etc Overseas Projects Public Policy and Public Participation: Engaging Citizens and Community in the Development of Public Policy Public Policy and Public Participation: Engaging Citizens and Community in the Development of Public Policy. 2003. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/regions/atlantic/pdf/pub_policy_partic_e.pdf is now available from Health Canada/SantŽ Canada, Population and Public Health Branch/Direction gŽnŽrale de la santŽ de la population et de la santŽ publique Women in Public Policy Initiative (WIPP) The Women in Public Policy Initiative (WIPP) has recently completed Equality-Based Public Policy Development: Views from the Field (August 2003). This report is an analysis and evaluation of its earlier document, Steps Toward a Credible and Inclusive Public Policy Process. The report contains the views of those involved with community-based organizations and with three levels of government across the country on what is needed to increase the inclusion of community-based, equality seeking perspectives and experiences in the development of public policy. The National Advisory Committee of WIPP is currently exploring how to ensure that the recommended actions identified by the contributors to this research are followed up on in a next phase of this initiative. For copies of the report or further information, please go to http://dawn.thot.net/wipp or email webjacob@web.ca Women's Health Planning Project, Vancouver/Richmond Health Board, Canada Women's Health Planning Project, Vancouver/Richmond Health Board, Canada Public involvement is one of the guiding principles of the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board. To act upon this principle, it has created fifteen Public Advisory Committees comprising geographic Community Health Committees and population specific Population Health Advisory Committees. The role of these committees is to bring the public's perspective to policy development and health and health services planning for the region. A Women's Health Planning Project was undertaken, by the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board and the Women's Advisory Committee under the direction of the BC's Women's Hospital and Health Centre. The Project employed a unique structure and process involving women from the community as equal partners with a broad range of acute and community sector service providers, policy makers and researchers. The Project report contains community profiles that combine traditional health status indicators with key social determinants and thereby provides a snapshot of the health and lives of women in specific geographic areas. In addition, while emphasising the need to collect and analyse gendered data, the project report provides a comprehensive profile with recommendations on three key areas of women's health: violence, mental health and heart health. The work of the Women's Health Project is ongoing. A Women's Health Planning Project Task Force has been created to expedite implementation of Project recommendations. An outgrowth of the Project has been the creation of the Vancouver/Richmond Women's Health Network. The network meetings provide a way for women to meet and share information and concern about Women's health and health services. They also help the Women's Advisory Committee to communicate with women and service providers in order to ensure a continuing voice for the many perspectives in planning for women's health. The Women's Health Planning Project Report with Supplementary Appendices including the Foundation Document: Conceptual Planning Framework is available on our web site http://www.vcn.bc.ca/vrhb . For more information contact Ellen Le Fevre, Community Developer.