Improving the consumer experience of AHPRA

What was the project about?

Health Issues Centre examined the experience of consumers as notifiers to AHPRA. A ‘notifier’ is a person or organisation who files a complaint about a registered health practitioner. Our aim was to provide recommendations to increase public confidence in AHPRA and improve the experience for consumers. We particularly hoped to help the organisation increase openness and communication about its processes. 

Who did we partner with?

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)

How did we go about it?

We conducted extensive interviews with over fifty key stakeholders, including community and practitioner members of health professional boards, AHPRA staff, Office of Health Service Commissioner staff (Victoria), and other key figures. We also reviewed twelve months of consumer complaints to AHPRA (those who complained about the process) and evaluated the organisation’s communication templates. Due to time limitations, we did not conduct interviews with consumers, though our work was informed by research we co-produced in 2004 on the experiences of consumers with health practitioner boards.

What was achieved?

Three months after submitting our final report, AHPRA published an action plan for improving the experience of consumers. The plan included many of our recommendations about accessible communication, greater transparency, improved timeliness and important changes in AHPRA’s approach to managing notifications.

When did we do the project?

March-April 2014

For more information

Contact Susan Biggar