Changing the conversation in our health system to empower consumers to choose wisely

The importance of trust and the critical role of health professionals taking the time to listen to and learn from consumers have been central themes of the 2021 Choosing Wisely Australia National Meeting which took place on Wednesday 19 May as a fully virtual event.

With the theme Empowering consumers to choose wisely, Choosing Wisely members and supporters, consumer advocates, health services and other healthcare influencers came together to discuss how they engage and can be champions in our health system so that people only receive care that is evidence-based and truly needed.

In conversation with the event MC Hamish Macdonald, participants talked about the influence of health literacy levels on access to care and health outcomes.

NPS MedicineWise CEO Adj A/Prof Steve Morris said building a respectful and two-way relationship between consumers and health professionals was a central message of a number of the presentations and conversations with consumers at the 2021 National Meeting.

“We often talk about consumer-centred or patient-centred health care, but putting this into practice isn’t always easy,” said Mr Morris.

“At today’s meeting we discussed how we need to learn to have new, difficult conversations about trust and not just about care. Facts and evidence are sometimes not enough without a strong health professional to consumer relationship based on trust,” he said.

The Choosing Wisely Australia National Meeting provided a global perspective on international efforts to reduce unnecessary care from Tara Montgomery, a public health advocate and communications strategist at Civic Health Partners in the United States, as well as showcased location solutions and initiatives to build patient-centred skills in our healthcare professionals, really embed shared decision-making, and integrate Choosing Wisely principles into our health system now and into the future.

An NPS MedicineWise podcast episode published last week captured some insights from international keynote speaker Tara Montgomery the role of culture, systems and trust in reducing unnecessary care.

The Choosing Wisely Australia National Meeting also generated robust online discussion between participants and provided digital networking opportunities including a virtual speed networking session, while the conversation continued on social media with the hashtag #ChoosingWiselyAustralia.