Empowering Women as Health Consumers through their Participation in the Evaluation of Holistic Counselling and Natural Therapy Services
This paper will present the action research process used to develop a unique evaluation tool for individual counselling and natural therapies services grounded in consumers’ own language. The research project has been carried out in a partnership between the Univrsity of Western Sydney and The Benevolent Society, NSW. The evaluation tool is grounded in an analysis of qualitative data collected by the Benevolent Society's Centre for Women's Health. The data was analysed to determine women’s experiences of individual services offered by the Centre for Women’s Health. This analysis formed the basis for the development of questions in an evaluation tool, in conjunction with a focus group of consumers. The tool was then piloted in focus groups of consumers and health workers, and refined on the basis of feedback. This project has contributed to continuous improvement of women’s health services and facilitated consumers’ active participation in planning and service implementation.