Our Consumer and Community Participation Policy covers all research projects undertaken at the School.

Each research project is unique and there are varying levels of consumer and community participation.

Consumers

Our consumers are:

• patients and potential patients
• Carers
• organisations representing consumers
• members of the public who are targets of health promotion programs
• groups asking for research because they believe that they have been exposed to potentially harmful circumstances, products or services

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Community

Our community is a group of people sharing a common interest, such as  cultural, social, political, health, economic interests, but not necessarily a particular geographical association.

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Principles

• Consumers and the community will be acknowledged as a key stakeholder in all our research projects undertaken
• Consumers, the community and researchers will work together to add value to research
• Partnerships between consumers, the community and researchers will be based on mutual respect for one another's different knowledge and experience
• Partnership roles will be decided by consultation between consumers, community and researchers
• Consumers and community members will be provided with all information related to fulfilling these roles
• Consumers and community members will be required to comply with the UWA policy on Intellectual Property and the National Privacy Principles
• Remuneration for consumer and community participation is to be allocated in research project planning and budgets
• Consumer and community participation will be evaluated in consultation with consumers, community members and researchers, and made available to the public

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Governance and ethics

• A Consumer and Community Advisory Council has been established
• A Consumer Research Liaison Officer reports on the activities of the Council to the Health of School and Executive Committee
• Consumer and Community Advisory Council membership and terms of reference are decided by consultation between consumer and community representatives and researchers
• Consumer Advisory Council will establish a link to the School's Ethics Committee

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Benefits

The establishment of effective partnerships between consumers, the community and researchers:

• adds value to evidence based research at SPH
• facilitates and enhances understanding of consumer and community priorities, perspectives and issues
• enhances the planning, conduct and analysis of SPH's research programs
• provides increased opportunities to obtain funding for research which addresses the needs and priorities of the community

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