Victorian Consumers Participate in Health

Internet Links

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Aged Care Crisis
www.agedcarecrisis.com
This is an independent website publicising the aged care issues of older citizens. The site includes a large range of national and state-specific articles, statistics and checklists on topics such as quality of care and elder abuse. There is a discussion forum and viewers' stories can be published on the site.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/142
This web site contains information about the ACCC. The ACCC promotes competition and fair trade in the market place to benefit consumers, businesses and the community.

Australian Health Care Alliance
www.healthreform.org.au
The Australian Health Care Alliance is a coalition of 53 organisations representing consumers and health care providers. The Alliance advocates for a fairer and more effective health care system.

Australian Health Policy Institute (AHPI)
www.ahpi.health.usyd.edu.au
This site offers news and policy papers and policy analysis projects about contemporary policy topics.

Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA)
www.aida.org.au
AIDA strives for excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in the spirit of cultural integrity. AIDA supports Indigenous people to take a central role in Indigenous health and encourages non-Indigenous people to work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, in a way that is culturally safe and respectful.

Australian Indigenous Health Promotion Network
www.indigenoushealth.med.usyd.edu.au
This Network works to improve the health of Indigenous Australians. Anyone with this goal can join the network, which is controlled by the members.

Australian Institute of Health Policy Studies
www.aihps.org
This is a national institute which studies the ways in which health policy can improve the health of all Australians.

Australian Policy Online
www.apo.org.au
Want to quickly find the latest reports in Australian health policy and research, or just find out what's new in the area of social policy thinking and studies generally? Australian Policy Online presents weekly news, research and analysis from 120 leading research centres and institutes. You can also subscribe to their free weekly email newsletter.

Australian Unity Wellbeing Index
www.communityindicators.net.au/measuring_wellbeing
This web site includes the first comprehensive measure of personal and national wellbeing in Australia and includes the following topics: Genuine Progress Indicator (Australia; Alternative to GDP, includes social and environmental costs etc. ; Measuring Australia's Progress; Key ABS national progress measurement project, bi-ennial. ; Unequal in Life; National community based survey of living standards and inequality in Australian communities

Better Health Channel (Victoria)
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
Health and medical information for consumers, quality assured by the Victorian government (Australia).

Breast Cancer Network Australia
www.bcna.org.au
Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) is driven by women who have experienced breast cancer. BCNA's role is to empower, inform, represent and link together Australians personally affected by breast cancer. The site has a Victorian page that includes a list of support groups and local events.

Carers Australia
www.carersaustralia.com.au
Carers Australia represents the needs and interests of carers at the national level through advocacy, influencing government policy and providing information and education for carers. Their website provides information about Carers Australia's work in the areas of research, policy, and advocacy.

Carers Victoria
www.carersvic.org.au
Carers Victoria supports carers and raises awareness of carers' issues. The site has a wealth of resources including training details, stories from carers and 'Surviving the Maze', a collection of practical guides and information sheets.

Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing
www.culturaldiversity.com.au/Home/tabid/181/Default.aspx
This web site contains resources to guide best practice standards of care especially in working with residents and families from CALD communities. It addresses cultural diversity across all levels of service design and delivery.

Centre for Culture Ethnicity and Health
www.ceh.org.au
The Centre for Culture Ethnicity and Health is a statewide organisation funded by the Department of Human Services to build the capacity of Victorian health service providers to effectively meet the needs of clients and communities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics (CHPPE)
www.peu.unimelb.edu.au
The site offers information about the Centre's work including health policy, program evaluation, health economics, epidemiology, social sciences and research methodology.

Collective of Self-Help Groups
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~coshg/
COSHG is a network of self-help and social action groups that focus on areas as diverse as health, housing, employment, sexuality, and parenting. These groups consist of people who get together with others in similar situations to support each other, share experiences and knowledge, and work together to improve their quality of life and that of others.

Commonwealth Fund
www.cmwf.org/publications/
The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation promoting a high performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society's most vulnerable. The Fund supports independent research and innovative policies on health care issues in the USA States and other industrialised countries.

Community Indicators Victoria
www.communityindicators.net.au/welcome_to_community_indicators_victoria_civ
The CIV is a collaborative project hosted by the McCaughey Centre, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne. This web site includes local community wellbeing indicators to improve citizen engagement, community planning and policy making.

Consumers' Health Forum
www.chf.org.au
Consumers' Health Forum is the leading national organisation in Australia providing a voice for all health consumers.

Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health
www.crcah.org.au/index.cfm
The Centre is a national virtual collaboration of researchers, research users, policy makers and service delivery agencies. The Centre's Board of Management must have a majority of Indigenous people and be chaired by an Indigenous person.

Council on the Ageing (Victoria)
www.cotavic.org.au/
The Council is the peak body representing the wide-ranging needs and interests of older people in the Victorian community. The Council advocates for the rights and interests of older people through information provision, imputing into government policy and supporting its members to contribute to projects and committees.

Diabetes Australia (Vic)
www.dav.org.au
Diabetes Australia (Vic) is the peak consumer body representing people with diabetes in Victoria and providing vital support and information to the community about diabetes. This organisation aims to minimise the impact of diabetes in the community, to help all people affected by diabetes, and to contribute to the search for a cure.

DIPEx
www.dipex.org/
This is a United Kingdom site aimed at consumers, carers, families and health professionals. It offers information and support on a range of illnesses and conditions, with the focus on people sharing their experiences in written, audio and video form.

DISCERN
www.discern.org.uk
DISCERN is a general set of quality criteria designed in the United Kingdom to enable consumers and other health information users judge the quality of treatment information on treatment choices.

Diversity Health Institute Clearinghouse
www.dhi.gov.au/clearinghouse/
This clearinghouse is a central access point for Australian multicultural health services, resources, research and projects, training and events.

Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria
www.epinet.org.au
The Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria is commitment to raising the profile of epilepsy, providing information about epilepsy to people affected by epilepsy and the community, and reducing the burden of epilepsy in people's lives.

Finding Consumers and Carers
http://svc244.wic005v.server-web.com/consumers/
This directory allows health services to search on line for consumer organisations with members willing to become involved in quality improvement.

Genetic Support Network Victoria
www.gsnv.org.au
The Genetic Support Network Victoria is committed to promoting the interests and wellbeing of people affected by genetic conditions. The Network encourages collaboration between individuals, families, professionals and genetic services, striving to enable all people with a genetic disorder living in Victoria to have appropriate and accurate information and support for their disorder that empowers them to manage the challenges to their health and wellbeing.

James Lind Alliance
www.lindalliance.org/
This United Kingdom-based website promotes partnerships between patients and professionals in order to identify and prioritise the unanswered health treatment questions that they agree are the most important. This helps to ensure that funders of health research are aware of what matters to patients and clinicians. The website links to a database which identifies the health treatment uncertainties.

Haemophilia Foundation Victoria
www.hfv.org.au
Haemophilia Foundation Victoria Inc is a member of Haemophilia Foundation Australia. The Foundation is a self-help, not for profit organisation that provides support, information and services for people affected by bleeding disorders, their families and carers in Victoria.

Health Consumers Alliance of South Australia
www.hcasa.asn.au/
The alliance is a not-for-profit, peak community organization for health consumers using heath services in South Australia. The Alliance aims to taken and active role in the development of health policy and supports community members to achieve beneficial changes in the health system.

Health Care Consumers' Association ACT
www.hcca.org.au
The Health Care Consumers' Association provides a voice for consumers on local health issues by working with health services to achieve services that are responsive, respectful, accessible and affordable to all; encouraging direct consumer involvement in health decision making; and lobbying and advocating on behalf of ACT health consumers.

Health Consumers' Council of WA
www.hcc-wa.global.net.au
The Health Consumers' Council is an independent community-based organisation, representing the consumers' 'voice' in health policy, planning, research and service delivery. The Council advocates on behalf of consumers to government, doctors, other health professionals, hospitals and the wider health system.

Health Consumers of Rural and Remote Australia
www.ruralhealth.org.au/hcrra/index.html
Health Consumers or Rural and Remote Australia is a not for profit organisation that works to improve rural health outcomes by involving consumers in the planning, implementation, management and evaluation of health services throughout non-metropolitan Australia.

Hepatitis C Council of Victora
www.hepcvic.org.au/
The Council is a statewide organisation representing and catering to the needs of people with hepatitis C, their carers, partners, family and friends through support, advocacy, education and consultation.

International Alliance of Patients' Organisations
www.patientsorganizations.org
The International Alliance of Patients' Organisations (IAPO) is a global alliance of organisations that represent patients and promotes patient-centred care.

INVOLVE
www.invo.org.uk
INVOLVE is an advisory group, funded by the United Kingdom's Department of Health to promote and support active public involvement in the National Health Service, public health and social care research.

The King's Fund
www.kingsfund.org.uk
This independent health charity aims to support the health and health care of the people of London by influencing health policy and stimulating good practice in service provision.

Mental Health and our Community
www.alphalink.com.au/~alpin/
Allan Pinches is a Consumer Consultant in mental health. His website has a range of community development-based education materials highlighting mental health consumer perspectives.

Multiple Sclerosis Australia
www.msaustralia.org.au
Multiple Sclerosis Australia strives to enhance the quality of life of people with multiple sclerosis and reduce the impact of multiple sclerosis on the families and carers of those with multiple sclerosis.

Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria
www.mifellowship.org
Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria is Victoria's leading membership-based not-for-profit organisation working with people with mental illness, their families and friends to improve their well being. The site includes a glossary of mental health terms and a list of common acronyms.

Multicultural Mental Health Australia
www.mmha.org.au
Looking for information and support for mental health issues in culturally and linguistically diverse communities? Multicultural Mental Health Australia works collaboratively with state and territory mental health specialists and services, advocacy groups and tertiary institutions.

National Rural Health Alliance
http://nrha.ruralhealth.org.au
The Alliance works to improve the health of Australians in rural and remote areas. It represents both health consumers and service providers, and believes that all Australians should have equitable access to appropriate health services, regardless of where they live.

New Matilda
www.newmatilda.com
New Matida is an independent online magazine and policy portal commenting on significant issues in Australia and overseas, including health. It promotes truth in public life, policy based on the public good, and citizen power in decision making. Try their free trial subscription or subscribe to also get access to their discussion forum and group blog.

Onemda VicHealth Koori Health Unit
www.chs.unimelb.edu.au/koori
This Unit is a partnership between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people which affirms Aboriginal knowledge, values and processes in all of its work. Onemda uses its extensive experience in Aboriginal health care, health service and policy to undertake research, teaching and Koori community development.

Ottawa Health Research Institute
www.ohri.ca/DecisionAid
This web page looks at: what are patient decision aids?; how can I find decision aids and learn about their quality?; an A to Z Inventory: allows you to search for decision aids on particular health topics; Ottawa Personal Decision Guide: a general decision guide that can be used for any health or social decision;
Development Toolkit: provides information for developers and researchers interested in producing decision aids; how can I implement decision aids in clinical practice?; and an Implementation Toolkit: provides tools and training for incorporating decision support in practice centres.

Palliative Care Victoria
www.pallcarevic.asn.au
Palliative Care Victoria is the peak body in Victoria representing palliative care providers and those with an interest in palliative care.

The People's Health Movement (PHM)
www.phmovement.org/
PHM is an international grassroots health activist network concerned by the growing inequities in health over the last 25 years. PHM's objectives include promoting health for all as a fundamental rights issue, through participation at all levels. There is also a link to an Australian site and Victorian page.

People Living With HIV/AIDS Vic
www.plwhavictoria.org.au
People Living With HIV/AIDS Victoria is the peak advocacy, education, advice, support and social networking body for all people living with HIV/AIDS in Victoria.

Picker Institute Europe
www.pickereurope.org
This organisation works with patients, professionals and policy makers to promote understanding of the patient's perspective at all levels of healthcare policy and practice.

Public Health Association of Australia
www.phaa.net.au
This organisation provides a forum for the exchange of ideas, knowledge and information on public health. The Association is also involved in advocacy for public health policy, development, research and training. There are special interest groups pages on the site and each state and territory has a branch with its own online discussion forum. It is worth browsing the forums outside your home state to find papers on ethics, health inequalities and social determinants of health.

Refugee Health Research Centre
www.latrobe.edu.au/rhrc/index.html
The Refugee Health Research Centre is a partnership between La Trobe University and the Victorian Foundation for the Survivors of Torture. The Centre promotes the health and wellbeing of refugee communities through research, education and professional development.

Retina Australia (Vic)
www.retinavic.org.au
Retina Australia (Vic) Inc. is a member of Retina Australia, a non-profit self-help organisation for people affected by retinal diseases, their families and their friends. Their focus is on promoting the equality of and support for those in the community who have inherited retinal diseases.

Self Help Queensland Inc
http://www.selfhelpqld.org.au/
Self Help Queensland is a not for profit community organisation comprising a network of self help and support groups in Queensland. The groups include participants with a broad range of health conditions and well being issues.

Sustain
www.sustainweb.org
Sustain advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity. Via its Community Mapping Project, Sustain's Food Poverty Network aims to enable people to understand their local food economies and develop solutions to the problems they face in obtaining a healthy diet for themselves and their families. The project emphasises participation, action and ownership at every stage of the process by all people involved.

South Australian Community Health Research Unit
www.sachru.sa.gov.au/
This research unit at Flinders University supports community and primary health care agencies and groups to carry out research and evaluation, and to use the findings to enhance health in South Australian communities. A particularly useful resource on the site is Planning and Evaluation Wizard, an entertaining and accessible guide to project planning, evaluation, and report writing.

Victorian Department of Human Services
www.health.vic.gov.au/consumer
The Victorian Department of Human Services supports a range of initiatives which promote and support consumer involvement in decision-making about their own treatment and care, in service development and quality improvement, and more broadly, in health policy developments.

Victorian Health Inequalities Network
www.vhin.org.au/
The Victorian Health Inequalities Network is a network for non-government, government and academic organisations, and anyone interested in inequalities that result in reduced health and wellbeing. The network aims to encourage public dialogue about the development of coherent strategies to reduce inequalities, and progressive agendas that support visions for equitable opportunities for all Victorians.

Women's Health Victoria
www.whv.org.au
Women's Health Victoria is an independent Victorian women's health promotion organisation. Their website includes is a great source of quality information on many topics of women's health through their clearinghouse, which can be searched online.

Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council
www.vmiac.com.au
VMIAC is a not-for-profit organisation whose purpose is to provide support, advocacy and referrals to people who are experiencing emotional or mental distress, as well as providing information and education about mental health services to the whole community.

Victorian Multicultural Commission
www.multicultural.vic.gov.au
The Commission committed to fostering harmony and encouraging the full participation of Victoria's ethnic communities with the social, economic and cultural life of our community. The website contains information about the Commission's projects, publications and grant program as well as; language services available in Victoria and an online directory that lists the details for more than 1,700 interfaith networks, language service providers, government agencies, chambers of commerce, consulates and community language schools and is available at libraries, community and information centres.