THE Consumers Health Forum (CHF) has called upon the Federal Government to fund integrated primary care, delivered in the community and providing services that avoid the need for more costly hospitalisation, among a series of measures presented in the group's 2018 federal budget submission.
"Developments in health care management are showing that team-based, consumer-centred care for people with chronic and complex conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, result not only in better health outcomes but more satisfied patients and clinical staff and potentially lower overall costs," the document reads.
CHF also highlighted the need to ensure health consumers are well informed and have a central role in the design and implementation of health care reforms and research.
Another recommendation was to enhance the use of technology, including the internet, to empower consumers into a "stronger role" to manage their own health, aligning with trends in other industries such as banking, travel and telecommunications.
The submission also sought a longer term view on preventive health, with reference to obesity and a levy on sugary drinks, citing the World Health Organisation's recommendation and the policies of around a dozen countries.
See chf.org.au for the submission.
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