The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF) have released the new Statement on Consumer and Community Involvement in Health and Medical Research. The Statement reinforces that meaningful involvement of consumers and communities is fundamental to high quality health and medical research. It is designed to guide all those involved in the research system and to strengthen the role of consumer and community voices in shaping policy, practice, and decision-making.
The Statement sets out how different stakeholders, including consumers, consumer organisations, researchers, research institutions, and research funders, can support involvement across the research system, not just within individual projects. Developed collaboratively with consumers, communities, and researchers, and guided by the NHMRC MRFF Consumer Advisory Group, the Statement reflects diverse perspectives gathered through extensive consultation.
To support implementation, the Statement includes practical examples and case studies that demonstrate what effective involvement looks like across different research contexts and stages of the research lifecycle. It is complemented by a Support and Resources document, which provides up to date, practical guidance and links to additional materials.