Guidelines for the assessment and management of Absolute Cardiovascular Disease Risk

The National Heart Foundation of Australia, on behalf of the Australian Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance (ACDPA) are seeking consumer representation to form a group, the Consumer Advisory Panel (the Panel), which will provide the consumer perspective on cardiovascular disease. 

The consumer representatives will represent a diverse range of backgrounds. This role does not require a background in a health field or understanding of complex clinical or technical concepts or terminology.  

Purpose of the Consumer Advisory Panel 

The Panel provides advice and guidance to assist guideline developers to understand what is important to consumers. The purpose of the Panel is to ensure the consumer perspective is considered in all relevant aspects of the update of the Guidelines for the assessment and management of Absolute Cardiovascular Disease Risk. 

Structure of the Consumer Advisory Panel  

The Panel will consist of 8-10 voluntary consumer representatives from a diverse range of backgrounds. A consumer representative will chair the group. 

The Panel reports via the Chair to the Expert Steering Group. 

The Panel will have Heart Foundation staff representation who will act as Executive Officers. The Heart Foundation will actively support and maximise the value of the Panel through orientation upon appointment, on-going feedback, training, and assistance. 

The role of Consumer Representative 

The role of each Consumer Representative is to share and discuss the values and preferences of consumers to ensure these can be considered in the development of guideline recommendations.  

Responsibilities of the role may include the following: 

• Consider the clinical evidence and recommendations from a consumer or carer perspective to ensure the acceptability of the recommendations 
• Read and comment on documents such as draft guideline sections and consumer or health professional resources as required to ensure resources are worded appropriately 
•  Assist the Guideline Expert Steering Group to consider perspectives and outcomes that consumers consider important 
• Provide a perspective that reflects both a person’s health journey, or health journey of a loved one, and the collective experience of consumers 
• Communicate consumer concerns and views, ask questions, and identify gaps both during meetings and via email between meetings.  

Time and place of meetings  

The Consumer Advisory Panel may meet monthly, via Zoom teleconference, most likely on Tuesday evenings AEDT. Communication between meetings will be mostly via e-mail.  

The dates for 2021 and 2022 have not yet been set. 

Term of membership 

The term of membership is 12-18 months, depending on project timelines. Members are expected to attend at least 80% of the meetings. 

Orientation to the Consumer Advisory Panel will be provided in the first session. 

This project is being run by the Heart Foundation on behalf of the Australian Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance