Consumers

Members of our consumer group are representative of different age groups. Most are aged between 41 to 70 years old.

Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) consumers are those born overseas, in countries other than major English-speaking countries. They come from communities with not only diverse languages but also ethnic backgrounds, nationalities, traditions, societal structures, religions, and cultures

Lived experience refers to those who have first-hand experiences and knowledge about certain situations or conditions. For example, someone who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and has been living with this condition for a while is in a unique place to talk about their experience in healthcare. And there is a lot of research showing the positive impacts of services designed and delivered by people with lived experience!

Consumers identified important reasons why they wanted to join this group and highlighted the impact they want to make on telehealth research and service delivery.

In 2022, The University of Queensland's Consumer and Community Network hosted a Consumer Roundtable to bring consumers and researchers together to explore emerging issues and priorities for future research.  Research questions prioritised by consumer vote focussed on marginalised groups and stigmatised conditions; differences between telehealth and face-to-face healthcare delivery; and the experience of conveying and receiving compassion via telehealth.  See the publication for more information:

Jenkinson B, Maxwell J, Bell A, et al. Bringing researchers to the consumer table: The process and outcomes of a consumer roundtable on telehealth. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare. 2023;0(0). doi:10.1177/1357633X231188536