Developing a national strategy of consumer and community involvement (CCI) for women's health research.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a consumer and community involvement (CCI) strategy for the Women's Health Research, Translation and Impact Network (WHRTN), an initiative of the Australian Health Research Alliance (AHRA). TYPE OF PROGRAM: A national network, comprising representatives from 14 nationally-accredited research translation centres that aims to embed CCI at a systems level, to improve equity and health outcomes across women's health. METHODS: A CCI Sub-Committee of WHRTN was established, chaired by a Consumer Advisor/Advocate. This committee invited both internal and external Consumer Advisor/Advocates to participate in a workshop, to guide the development of WHRTN's CCI Strategy in women's health research. RESULTS: A CCI Strategy document was written with input from workshop attendees and leading academics in women's health and has now been implemented into WHRTN, informing all aspect of the Network's programs and activities. DISCUSSION: Broad and early consumer involvement can facilitate meaningful partnerships between researchers and community, and enable genuine consumer contributions to research across strategy development, priority setting and undertaking research. Appropriate finances and time need to be allocated for CCI, with training in CCI a key enabler for its effective implementation.

Consumer and community involvement in research is increasingly recognised as an important component of high-quality research. It is now required by many research funders and organisations. However, researchers and organisations often struggle with how to initiate and implement consumer and community involvement at a systems level. In this paper, we outline the processes used to develop a national consumer and community involvement strategy for the Australian Health Research Alliance, Women's Health Research Translation and Impact Network. This provides a roadmap of how organisations can achieve a framework that supports consumer and community involvement across the research pathway. The strategy highlights the need for broad and early inclusion of consumers in decision making, financing consumer involvement, allowing time to build partnerships, and inclusion of training for researchers and consumers.

An Account of Labor and Birth Following a High-Risk Pregnancy That Ended in Induction of Labor at 37 Weeks: An Acknowledgment of When Option B Can Still Lead to a Positive Birth Experience.

After two textbook pregnancies, I was not expecting my third to be any different. However, despite feeling well and exercising regularly, at 29 weeks, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. After taking insulin, I developed pregnancy-induced hypertension and oligohydramnios. Having studied to become a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator in 2017, I was keen to utilize all my learning and follow the six Healthy Birth Practices to avoid repeating the birth experiences I had had in 2012 and 2014. This is an account of when option B is presented as the best option for the safest end to pregnancy and the ways I tried to gain control of what I could the Lamaze way.