Equity in participation: towards a new healthcare policy framework

The Department of Health and Human Services has commenced the development of a new equity and participation policy. The new policy will address consumer, carer and community participation, diversity, and cultural responsiveness within a quality and safety framework.

It will also bring together connected approaches in person and family-centred care, shared decision making, equity, health literacy, and healthcare experience, all of which have been a focus of the department’s work in recent years.

Aim

The new equity and participation policy aims to align and strengthen consumer, carer and community participation, diversity, and equity within a quality and safety framework. It will align the co-related concepts of health literacy, person and family-centred care, shared decision making, and cultural responsiveness.

Objective

The policy will be relevant to Victorian services consumer, carer (family and friends) and/or community members. It will reduce duplication and include accountability mechanisms as well as a range of participation activities across three levels of the health system:

• consumer, carer and community level,
• organisational level, and
• government and policy level.

Policy framework

The new policy framework will incorporate:

• a policy integrating consumer, carer and community participation, cultural responsiveness, diversity and equity
• a performance and accountability framework that aligns and consolidates current and new indicators, standardised performance monitoring and measurements; and
• a strategic framework of programs, tools and resources that aid performance and accountability.

Policy development

Over the coming year, the policy development will be managed by the Consumer Partnerships and Quality Standards Team within the Sector Performance, Quality and Rural Health Branch, Department of Health and Human Services.

The project plan incorporates three phases:

Phase 1: Key Issues Paper
Phase 2: Draft policy paper
Phase 3: Final policy

The department places a high value on partnerships, collaboration and facilitating meaningful consumer participation. It welcomes and encourages your active participation in the policy development.

Further information

For further information about the equity and participation policy development please contact the project team.