Dig Deeper
Creating an advisory council or board is a key way to cement buy-in and commitment from your consumer advocates. Your Consumer Advisory Council (CAC) ensures that the consumer perspective is represented and can take one of many forms (e.g., Consumer Advisory Board, Consumer Engagement Taskforce, or Expert Panel).
1. Gain support for the idea of setting up a council from your leadership team and board members.
2. Collaborate with consumer leaders to determine the scope and responsibilities of the CAC.
3. Formalize the role of the council by creating a document outlining its principle functions.
4. Determine a decision-making process for the CAC, as well as between it and the broader AF4Q initiative.
5. Orient all stakeholders to the goals of the council, and orient council members to AF4Q and its mission and goals.
6. Designate staff to support the CAC.
What are some ways consumers can help improve health care?
Leadership positions and health care activism are a good start
What tools exist to help me become an effective consumer leader?
AF4Q has helpful guidance.
Why worry about hospital readmissions?
They are costly and often avoidable.
What are best practices for displaying comparative reports on public reporting websites?
Consumers prefer clarity
Where should I incorporate consumers into my practice or hospital?
Learn from AF4Q examples.
How do I make sure consumer efforts and activity are meaningful?
AF4Q has several benchmarks you can use.
- Why do consumers need to know how much things cost?
- How do we help employers maintain their interest and energy in our partnership?
- What role do employers play in improving care quality?
- What frameworks can I use to engage and activate consumers?
- What are the benefits of personal health records?
- What is the Consumer Engagement Leadership Consortium?
- Where should I incorporate consumers into my practice or hospital?
- How do you explain the idea of “high-quality health care"?
- How do I clarify my role as a consumer within my organization or Alliance?
- How do I become a better consumer leader?