Over the past 12 months, AEHA has seen positive outcomes for both encouraging organisation collaboration and for building public confidence and trust in the healthcare sector.
These have been achieved through AEHA member organisations sharing a commitment to integrity and ethics – through the Australian Consensus Framework – and on behalf of the AEHA Steering Committee, I thank you for your continued effort.
Below are two examples of the positive outcomes that have recently been achieved:
Health Consumer Organisations workshop
On 11 March 2020, a health consumer organisations (HCOs) workshop hosted 42 attendees from around the country, including 29 people from 22 HCOs and multiple AEHA representatives.
The workshop referenced the ACF as the representatives sought to achieve a set of principles that could be used when considering whether, or how, to interact with pharmaceutical industry funders.
One of the aims of the ACF is to promote collaboration and interaction among healthcare sector organisations, and this workshop was the start of a collaborative effort for HCOs for the benefit of patients, consumers, communities, populations, healthcare systems and the healthcare sector.
A report was recently released on the outcomes of the workshop.Download the report for more information. AEHA acknowledges HCNSW, The University of Sydney, and Consumers Health Forum of Australia, who developed the report.
Australians rank healthcare sector as the most ethical
The Australian healthcare sector is now regarded by Australians as the most ethical sector, with a score of +67, according to The Ethics Centre’s report: The ethical advantage: the economic and social benefits of ethics to Australia.
The AEHA Steering Committee recently endorsed the report and noted that there had been a pleasing shift in trust towards the healthcare community with the introduction of the ACF.
The report is evidence that the ACF continues to serve as an effective means for ethical collaboration and interaction, and that AEHA is continuing to promote public confidence and trust in healthcare sector organisations.
AEHA recently distributed a media release on the report's outcomes. AEHA member organisations are also encouraged to share the media release through their own media/communication channels.
Other examples where the ACF has been used over the past 12 months have included:
Public and private hospitals cooperating to make beds available for COVID-19 patients
Government and industry coordinating increased supply of critical medical equipment
Consumer and industry groups supporting each other in identifying and addressing community needs at crucial times in the pandemic
Federal and State governments cooperating to reduce the national impact of COVID-19.
AEHA would be pleased to highlight how your organisation has used the ACF principles to improve ethical practice; you are encouraged to forward your achievements to members@ethicalhealth.org.au