‘...ensuring that information, resources, and engagement opportunities are accessible to all consumers, whānau and communities, and removing any barriers that may hinder full and effective participation and engagement.’
'...resourcing consumers, whānau and communities to contribute and engage meaningfully and having policies to reflect this.'
– The code of expectations for health entities’ engagement with consumers and whānau
Video resources
Find out more about accessibility and resourcing to enhance consumer engagement in health service improvement
The Accessibility Charter was launched in February 2018, and it is expected that all government agencies sign up to it. The Charter commitment is, ‘ensuring that all information intended for the public is accessible to everyone and that everyone can interact with our services in a way that meets their individual needs and promotes their independence and dignity’.
This includes ensuring that forms, correspondence, pamphlets, brochures and other means of communication with the public are available in a range of accessible formats. Accessible formats include:
- electronic
- New Zealand Sign Language
- Easy Read
- braille
- large print
- audio
- captioned and audio described videos
- transcripts
- other tools, such as the Telephone Information Service.
For more about the Accessibility Charter, visit the Office for Disability Issues website.
One major barrier that can occur is not engaging with consumers until after key decisions have already been made. Early engagement of consumers allows their contribution to shape the process as well as the planned focus, that is, to contribute to the purpose, design and outcomes. A systematic review of 48 studies by Bombard et al (2018) identified a range of facilitators of and barriers to consumer engagement in health care improvement. See the Resources section below for more information on barriers and facilitators to consumer engagement.
The value of drawing on consumer experiences and objectives to improve health care services is recognised and advocated. It also requires leadership and resourcing from within provider organisations. O’Connor et al (2018) highlighted that this may require a culture change within an organisation and that both ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ approaches are needed to achieve transformational change.
Practical suggestions to support change include:
- reflecting expectations for consumer engagement in guiding/strategy documents
- infrastructure support, including processes for recruiting consumers to participate
- training staff to build capacity in partnering with consumers in service improvement
- co-education of staff and consumers participating in projects to ensure a ‘common language’
- addressing compensation/remuneration for consumer participation.
See O’Connor et al (2018) for examples from Canadian health care providers.
Engagement approaches vary, from consultative approaches, such as focus groups and surveys, to more collaborative approaches, such as having consumer representatives in improvement teams or governance groups. Using a range of engagement approaches allows more diverse consumer voices to be heard. It also allows consumers to select the role or participation level that meets their choice of time commitment/availability.
Consumers new to specific engagement roles may be supported to participate fully through providing access to another consumer, or a staff member as a ‘buddy’.
Priority groups, in particular those experiencing inequity, must have sufficient opportunities and resourcing to allow them to contribute their knowledge and experiences.
Consumer engagement requires the development of trusting relationships between health care providers and consumers, whānau and communities. Different cultures establish trusting relationships in different ways.
Making consumer engagement accessible for a particular community involves meeting their needs and preferences. Examples may include: meeting leaders of the community; whakawhanaungatanga or relationship building; face-to-face meetings; respecting cultural practices and language use; providing adequate interpreting and translation services; and allowing sufficient meeting time.
It is also important to provide digital access where needed and to choose buildings/meeting spaces that are culturally appropriate and suitable for those with accessibility requirements, such as needing wheelchair or flat access. See the Ministry of Social Development’s ‘Making Aotearoa accessible’ framework for more information.
See also the tips on engaging with consumers provided by He Hoa Tiaki | Partners in Care consumer advisors in the Resources section. They describe how to create safe spaces for consumer engagement, ways to encourage consumer participation and effective ways to communicate and share information.
Organisation and department policies should align with the organisation’s overall consumer engagement strategy. Specific consumer engagement policies may include: recruitment; training and preparation for consumer engagement activities; and reimbursement of expenses (such as mileage, parking and childcare), remuneration and koha.
What is the Accessibility Charter?
The Accessibility Charter was launched in February 2018, and it is expected that all government agencies sign up to it. The Charter commitment is, ‘ensuring that all information intended for the public is accessible to everyone and that everyone can interact with our services in a way that meets their individual needs and promotes their independence and dignity’.
This includes ensuring that forms, correspondence, pamphlets, brochures and other means of communication with the public are available in a range of accessible formats. Accessible formats include:
- electronic
- New Zealand Sign Language
- Easy Read
- braille
- large print
- audio
- captioned and audio described videos
- transcripts
- other tools, such as the Telephone Information Service.
For more about the Accessibility Charter, visit the Office for Disability Issues website.
What barriers can affect ‘full and effective participation and engagement’ by consumers in healthcare improvement?
One major barrier that can occur is not engaging with consumers until after key decisions have already been made. Early engagement of consumers allows their contribution to shape the process as well as the planned focus, that is, to contribute to the purpose, design and outcomes. A systematic review of 48 studies by Bombard et al (2018) identified a range of facilitators of and barriers to consumer engagement in health care improvement. See the Resources section below for more information on barriers and facilitators to consumer engagement.
The value of drawing on consumer experiences and objectives to improve health care services is recognised and advocated. It also requires leadership and resourcing from within provider organisations. O’Connor et al (2018) highlighted that this may require a culture change within an organisation and that both ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ approaches are needed to achieve transformational change.
Practical suggestions to support change include:
- reflecting expectations for consumer engagement in guiding/strategy documents
- infrastructure support, including processes for recruiting consumers to participate
- training staff to build capacity in partnering with consumers in service improvement
- co-education of staff and consumers participating in projects to ensure a ‘common language’
- addressing compensation/remuneration for consumer participation.
See O’Connor et al (2018) for examples from Canadian health care providers.
How can opportunities for consumer engagement be made more accessible?
Engagement approaches vary, from consultative approaches, such as focus groups and surveys, to more collaborative approaches, such as having consumer representatives in improvement teams or governance groups. Using a range of engagement approaches allows more diverse consumer voices to be heard. It also allows consumers to select the role or participation level that meets their choice of time commitment/availability.
Consumers new to specific engagement roles may be supported to participate fully through providing access to another consumer, or a staff member as a ‘buddy’.
Importance of meeting cultural and other needs
Priority groups, in particular those experiencing inequity, must have sufficient opportunities and resourcing to allow them to contribute their knowledge and experiences.
Consumer engagement requires the development of trusting relationships between health care providers and consumers, whānau and communities. Different cultures establish trusting relationships in different ways.
Making consumer engagement accessible for a particular community involves meeting their needs and preferences. Examples may include: meeting leaders of the community; whakawhanaungatanga or relationship building; face-to-face meetings; respecting cultural practices and language use; providing adequate interpreting and translation services; and allowing sufficient meeting time.
It is also important to provide digital access where needed and to choose buildings/meeting spaces that are culturally appropriate and suitable for those with accessibility requirements, such as needing wheelchair or flat access. See the Ministry of Social Development’s ‘Making Aotearoa accessible’ framework for more information.
See also the tips on engaging with consumers provided by He Hoa Tiaki | Partners in Care consumer advisors in the Resources section. They describe how to create safe spaces for consumer engagement, ways to encourage consumer participation and effective ways to communicate and share information.
Create policies to support and resource consumer engagement
Organisation and department policies should align with the organisation’s overall consumer engagement strategy. Specific consumer engagement policies may include: recruitment; training and preparation for consumer engagement activities; and reimbursement of expenses (such as mileage, parking and childcare), remuneration and koha.
Resources
Consumer engagement to improve health care: facilitators and barriers (pdf | docx)
Engaging with consumers – He Hoa Tiaki | Partners in Care (pdf | docx)
View the He Hoa Tiaki | Partners in Care consumer engagement operational policy.
Although focused on on-on-one discussion, this resource for providers also includes helpful tips on using visuals and written materials effectively and explaining health terms. The resource was developed in the context of achieving equitable health outcomes for Māori and maintaining cultural safety.
This brochure (pdf) from NHS England contains general practical information, including tips on supporting individuals to have their say and things to consider for accessible events/meetings.
The aim of the Te Ao Māori Framework is to help health services improve the quality of care given to whānau Māori across Aotearoa New Zealand and advance the uptake and implementation of te ao Māori and mātauranga Māori concepts into general health system design and health practice for all. The framework was developed by the Te Tahu Hauora Health Quality and Safety Commission in partnership with Māori health providers, Whānau Ora providers and participating district health boards (now Te Whatu Ora districts) across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Yavu was developed as an engagement tool to support government agencies and others wanting to connect with Pacific communities. It provides guidance on how to engage with Pacific communities in a way that is more meaningful and relevant.
Consumer engagement to improve health care: facilitators and barriers
Consumer engagement to improve health care: facilitators and barriers (pdf | docx)
Tips on engaging with consumers from He Hoa Tiaki | Partners in Care consumer advisors
Engaging with consumers – He Hoa Tiaki | Partners in Care (pdf | docx)
Policy for paying consumers involved in Te Tāhū Hauora Health Quality & Safety Commission work
View the He Hoa Tiaki | Partners in Care consumer engagement operational policy.
Accessibility Charter
View the Accessibility Charter.
Three steps to meeting health literacy needs | Ngā toru hīkoi e mōhiotia ai te hauora
Although focused on on-on-one discussion, this resource for providers also includes helpful tips on using visuals and written materials effectively and explaining health terms. The resource was developed in the context of achieving equitable health outcomes for Māori and maintaining cultural safety.
Helping people with a learning disability to give feedback
This brochure (pdf) from NHS England contains general practical information, including tips on supporting individuals to have their say and things to consider for accessible events/meetings.
Te Ao Māori Framework
The aim of the Te Ao Māori Framework is to help health services improve the quality of care given to whānau Māori across Aotearoa New Zealand and advance the uptake and implementation of te ao Māori and mātauranga Māori concepts into general health system design and health practice for all. The framework was developed by the Te Tahu Hauora Health Quality and Safety Commission in partnership with Māori health providers, Whānau Ora providers and participating district health boards (now Te Whatu Ora districts) across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Ministry for Pacific Peoples: Yavu – Foundations of Pacific Engagment Tool
Yavu was developed as an engagement tool to support government agencies and others wanting to connect with Pacific communities. It provides guidance on how to engage with Pacific communities in a way that is more meaningful and relevant.
Further reading
Bombard Y, Ross Baker G, Orlando E, et al. 2018 Engaging patients to improve quality of care: a systematic review. Implement Sci 13: 98. URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6060529/
O’Connor P, Di Carlo M, Rouleau J-L. 2018. The leadership and organisational context required to support patient partnerships. Healthcare Quarterly 21 (Special Issue): 31–7. DOI: 10.12927/hcq.2018.25641
This paper discusses some of the challenges for health care organisations in achieving effective consumer engagement and gives some practical examples from Canada.
Faber MJ, Vijn TW, Jillissen MC, et al. 2018. Implementation of Patient Engagement in the Netherlands: A Stimulating Environment within a Large Academic Medical Centre. Healthcare Quarterly 21 (Special Issue): 50–5. DOI: 10.12927/hcq.2018.25638
This paper reports on the implementation of consumer engagement approaches in a specialised secondary care facility in the Netherlands. Inclusion of consumer engagement strategies in departmental annual plans and participation of each department in standardised patient experience surveys are two of the examples given.
Chauhan A, Walpola RL, Manias E, et al. 2021. How do health services engage culturally and linguistically diverse consumers? An analysis of consumer engagement frameworks in Australia. Health Expectations 24: 1747–62. DOI: doi.10.111/hex.13315
This research found that promoting flexible approaches to participation in consumer engagement is critical to enable participation from a diverse culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) population. Factors to address include: convenient scheduling, taking in to account health condition, caregiving and other responsibilities; and sufficient reimbursement, especially for those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, who live further from central city locations, and/or who have caregiving responsibilities.
Engaging patients to improve quality of care: a systematic review
Bombard Y, Ross Baker G, Orlando E, et al. 2018 Engaging patients to improve quality of care: a systematic review. Implement Sci 13: 98. URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6060529/
The leadership and organisational context required to support patient partnerships
O’Connor P, Di Carlo M, Rouleau J-L. 2018. The leadership and organisational context required to support patient partnerships. Healthcare Quarterly 21 (Special Issue): 31–7. DOI: 10.12927/hcq.2018.25641
This paper discusses some of the challenges for health care organisations in achieving effective consumer engagement and gives some practical examples from Canada.
Implementation of Patient Engagement in the Netherlands: A Stimulating Environment within a Large Academic Medical Centre
Faber MJ, Vijn TW, Jillissen MC, et al. 2018. Implementation of Patient Engagement in the Netherlands: A Stimulating Environment within a Large Academic Medical Centre. Healthcare Quarterly 21 (Special Issue): 50–5. DOI: 10.12927/hcq.2018.25638
This paper reports on the implementation of consumer engagement approaches in a specialised secondary care facility in the Netherlands. Inclusion of consumer engagement strategies in departmental annual plans and participation of each department in standardised patient experience surveys are two of the examples given.
How do health services engage culturally and linguistically diverse consumers? An analysis of consumer engagement frameworks in Australia
Chauhan A, Walpola RL, Manias E, et al. 2021. How do health services engage culturally and linguistically diverse consumers? An analysis of consumer engagement frameworks in Australia. Health Expectations 24: 1747–62. DOI: doi.10.111/hex.13315
This research found that promoting flexible approaches to participation in consumer engagement is critical to enable participation from a diverse culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) population. Factors to address include: convenient scheduling, taking in to account health condition, caregiving and other responsibilities; and sufficient reimbursement, especially for those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, who live further from central city locations, and/or who have caregiving responsibilities.
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Page last updated: June 2023