Consumers: How to use Zoom and ensure your voice is heard during COVID-19

We are working to ensure that the consumer voice remains at the heart of the COVID-19 health response. One of the most effective ways to share your views right now is via online video conferencing platforms like Zoom. We would like to help you build your skills to use Zoom with confidence so that you can host and join meetings online, self-organise and have an impact on planning and decision-making in your regions and local communities.

Zoom is free and easy to download if you have a computer which has a microphone, camera and reliable internet.

If you are new to Zoom, take a look at these resources to get up and running.

Written instructions

Getting Started with Zoom

Using the Zoom controls within a meeting

Video

How to join a Zoom meeting

Using meeting controls. This video also discusses controlling a meeting from the host’s point of view, but does have useful information for participants about using Zoom.

Consumers continue to be part of important decision-making

Health Consumers Queensland is working hard to make sure health consumers continue to be part of important decision-making – even during a global pandemic

We are doing this by attending daily or weekly meetings on:

  • Clinical matters
  • Mental health
  • Disability health
  • Community health
  • Stakeholder networks
  • Communications
  • Maternity
  • and with other NGOs.

We also connected with health consumer organisations across the country to share strategies and resources.

Do you feel you have the right information to make decisions on COVID-19 for you and your family?

31 members of our new COVID-19 Community of Interest Group and the Department of Health joined a ‘Consumer Conversations’ feedback session via Zoom yesterday. We asked them:

– Do you feel you have the right information to make decisions on COVID-19 for you and your family?
– What is causing concern or confusion right now?
– Where are you getting good information, and where are you getting support?

Their feedback communicated an urgent need for clear, truthful, inclusive and consistent messaging from governments at state and federal level.

Continue reading this eAlert >

e-Alert to focus on powerful partnerships which inform and shape the COVID-19 response

We know that many of you are at the heart of COVID-19 in Queensland, either as consumers and carers, loving family members, or as staff in the health system. Our thoughts are with you all and we hope that working together on this will help to ease the burden. 

Health Consumers Queensland is now focusing its efforts on supporting powerful partnerships between consumers and staff in the health system. Our role is in enabling the most effective strategic response to COVID-19 and the communication messages and mechanisms used during these times.

Our eAlerts will now focus on sharing opportunities for consumers and carers to be involved in working with Queensland Health on shaping their plans and decisions about what and how they are communicating so that their messages are received and understood by our state’s diverse communities.  

  • As the pattern and spread of COVID-19 changes daily, we also want to support consumers and carers to quickly build your skills and confidence to self-organise and have an impact on planning and decision-making in your regions and local communities.
  • We will also continue to update you on our new working arrangements and current activities.
  • You can also continue to apply for non-COVID-19 related opportunities through this eAlert and we encourage you to do so as the organisers are making arrangements for non-facing meetings during this time.

Continue reading this eAlert >

HCQ TIP SHEET – partnering with consumers on COVID-19

On request from Hospital and Health Service staff, Health Consumers Queensland has created a brand new HCQ tip sheet for staff on how to involve consumers in COVID-19 planning, decision-making and communications . We hope you find this clear, simple and useful.  We have sent it to HHS Chief Executives and Engagement Advisors.  Please circulate it to any staff and consumers you know who should be partnering together on the local development of COVID-19 strategy and communication.

Download the tip sheet >

COVID-19 Community of Interest

If you would like to be a part of a statewide group of consumers who are interested in being involved on COVID-19 responses, please register your details via the link below. 

Sign Up >