Medcast makes a new home for quality use of medicines education
Medcast has launched QHUB, an innovative new platform dedicated to quality use of medicines education. The initiative marks a significant milestone for the Quality Use of Medicines Alliance - a consortium spearheaded by Medcast and Health Care Consumers Association and funded by the Australian Government through the Quality use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology Program.
QHUB represents one of the most substantial quality use of medicines education initiatives since the discontinuation of NPS MedicineWise in 2022.
Over the next 2 years QHUB will provide invaluable support to healthcare professionals across 4 priority health areas, with an initial focus on eczema, followed by gout, antidepressants in older people and anticoagulants.
A/Prof Dr Stephen Barnett Managing Director at Medcast
Facilitated through the Quality Use of Medicines Alliance, QHUB brings together quality use of medicines expertise, researchers, education providers, colleges, peak bodies and consumer groups. This collaborative approach emphasises the integration of consumer and healthcare professional perspectives at every stage of development.
Darlene Cox, Executive Director at Health Care Consumers Association highlighted the program's co-design principles and said
QHUB’s launch is timely, commencing with a focus on eczema, a condition affecting approximately 2.8 million Australians including 1 in 3 children aged under 6. Despite being often perceived as a minor ailment, eczema poses significant challenges for patients, impacting their quality of life and mental well-being. Moreover, the condition incurs substantial costs to the healthcare system, exceeding $593 million in 2019-2020¹.
Patients and carers encounter inconsistent information from different health professionals, which leaves them confused, less likely to adhere to foundational and first-line therapy, and more open to information from less reliable sources, such as social media. And with health professionals facing limited time and ready access to supporting resources for eczema, there can be significant variations in practice and communication with patients.
The launch of QHUB signifies a crucial step towards addressing quality use of medicines challenges and fostering collaboration between healthcare professionals and consumers.
For media inquiries and further information, please contact:
Kate Clutton
M: 0407 580 929
E: kate.clutton@medcast.com.au
Reference
¹https://www.eczemasupport.org.au/national-strategy/
The Quality Use of Medicines Alliance a consortium of eight health and consumer organisations, will align their work across the two grants, awarded under the Australian Government’s Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology (QUDTP) Program.
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