Wednesday, 5th March 2025 National Cancer Survivorship Conference

Date: Wednesday 5 March 2025.
Time: 10:30 am (arrival) for 11:00 am start – 4:30 pm
Venue:  Meeting Place 3+4, Rydges Hotel, Exhibition St, Melbourne   

This engaging and interactive pre-conference workshop, co-hosted by Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) and the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA), is your chance to deepen your understanding of consumer engagement and turn shared insights into action.

You’ll leave this workshop with the skills and confidence to embrace engagement as a partnership, shape better cancer care and lead change in survivorship.

Why Attend?

• Understand the fundamentals – Gain clarity on what consumer engagement is (and isn’t), shared language and terminology, and its role in health policy, research and strategy.
• Learn how to engage effectively – Explore practical steps for meaningful engagement, from recruitment and ethical considerations to effective co-design practices.
• Measure and sustain impact – Learn how to evaluate success, create feedback loops and embed consumer engagement into your research, policy or advocacy activities.
• Connect and collaborate – Network with like-minded consumers, researchers and healthcare professionals who are shaping the future of cancer care.

What to Expect?

The workshop is structured around three key sessions for a comprehensive, hands-on learning experience:

Session 1: The principles and language of consumer engagement

Learn the 'what' of consumer engagement — its purpose, principles, and key concepts — while challenging assumptions and clarifying roles (e.g., consumer vs patient, co-design vs co-production).

Session 2: Putting knowledge into action

Master the 'how' of effective consumer engagement. Explore best practices for recruitment, support and ethical considerations. Discover when and how to engage consumers and the different roles they can play in research and service design.

Session 3: Measuring impact and sustaining change

Discover what meaningful and successful engagement looks like, reinforcing the ‘why’ behind the move from patient to partner. Learn how to measure success, create continuous feedback loops, embed partnerships into practice and how authentic engagement can drive sector leadership.

Who Should Attend?

This workshop is open to:

• Cancer consumer representatives – ensure the voice of lived experience is heard and understood.
• Representatives from cancer organisations – build successful consumer partnerships into your work.
• Cancer researchers (particularly those who are early to mid-career) – develop confidence and capability in partnerships and co-design with consumers.
• Healthcare professionals and policy-makers – learn how to embed consumer engagement in service design and research.

Be part of the movement from patient to partner

Don’t miss this chance to learn, connect and co-design the future of cancer care.

About BCNA

Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) is Australia’s leading breast cancer consumer organisation with a network of over 175,000 people. As consumer led organisation, BCNA ensures the voices of lived experience is represented in breast cancer policy, research and service development. BCNA works with governments, health service providers, researchers, and the broader community to ensure that decisions and practices adopt patient-centred care.

This workshop is a collaboration between BCNA consumer representatives, staff and COSA program committee members.