In multi-stakeholder organizations, meaningful consumer engagement (CE) is a set of practices established to activate consumers in all aspects of a project’s design, governance, implementation, and evaluation.
• Consumer Recruitment. Networking and knowledge of local health care players are key to recruiting. Orient new consumer representatives with thorough onboarding materials and match them to roles that suit them.
• Strategic Planning. Identify goals and activities for consumers that map directly to AF4Q’s broader goals. Consider how to integrate consumers into all projects. One idea is to form a Consumer Advisory Council.
• Relationship Building. AF4Q relies on multi-stakeholder collaboration. Articulate the value of consumer engagement to all parties; Alliance “Bright Spots” are a good example. Find opportunities to partner a consumer with another leader to work together.
• Meeting Facilitation. Make sure meetings count by including time on the agenda for the consumer perspective, avoiding interruptions, and sticking to the agenda.
• Support and Retention. Increase the number of consumers in your organization, build their capacity, and secure long-term commitment by: (1) educating them thoroughly about AF4Q, from mission to organizational structure and procedures; (2) employing every communication channel you find effective (such as calls, blogs, Facebook, or Twitter); (3) educating them on the issues (such as quality or benefit design); (4) seeking opportunities for them to participate, from governance to public outreach; and (5) asking for feedback through the Consumer Engagement Survey.
• Evaluation. Evaluate CE effectiveness by: (1) documenting details of consumer activity, (2) collecting stories, (3) conducting exit interviews, and (4) summarizing successful models of engagement for other Alliances.