Statement on Consumer and Community Involvement in Health and Medical Research
SPHERE welcomes the release of the new Statement on Consumer and Community Involvement in Health and Medical Research, developed by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in partnership with the Consumers Health Forum of Australia.
The Australian Health Research Alliance (AHRA), which contributed to the development of the Statement, has welcomed its national expectation that consumer and community involvement — including the involvement of people with lived experience — is embedded across all stages of health and medical research.
Meaningful consumer and community involvement is essential to ensuring research is relevant, high quality and responsive to real-world needs. It also strengthens the translation of research into improved health outcomes for patients and communities.
The Statement identifies AHRA and the Health Research Hub as central to supporting implementation through practical guidance, tools and resources for researchers, consumers, institutions and funders.