A new network for stakeholders in the ACT health sector has been launched by the Health Care Consumers’ Association (HCCA) offering the opportunity to openly discuss, plan and address health literacy issues faced by the Canberra community.
The ‘Canberra Health Literacy Network’ has been welcomed by the Minister for Health, Rachel Stephen-Smith who said it would bring together health and community professionals, health care consumers and carers to improve health literacy in the ACT.
“The aim of the Network is to make it easier for people who use health services to obtain and understand health information, helping people to make more informed decisions about their healthcare,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“We know the health system can be difficult to navigate for some people and this causes a barrier for accessing health services,” she said.
“This is particularly important for people who are more likely to have complex health needs or face other barriers to accessing integrated healthcare.”
She said these included Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, migrants and refugees, people with long term health conditions, carers and people with disabilities.
Ms Stephen-Smith said that improving health literacy would give people the skills and knowledge they needed to access, understand and use information and make decisions about their own healthcare.
She said the new Network would provide webinars on practical health literacy topics; a network of peers working in different organisations; and online resources for health and community workers and consumers.
Ms Stephen-Smith said the Network was open to everyone and encouraged people working in health, community services, and self-help organisations to become involved.
Further information on the Canberra Health Literacy Network can be accessed on the HCCA website at this PS News link.
