Consumer Participation

Our commitment

Lung Foundation Australia is committed to embedding the lived experience voice throughout the inaugural Australian COPD Symposium, while also ensuring that engagement is purposeful, supported, and appropriate to the event’s scientific and clinical focus.

Not all aspects of the Symposium are designed for broad public participation, and paid registration to attend the scientific program in person is therefore not available to patients and carers. This aligns with our legal obligations as the Health Peak Advisory Body for Lung Health, and regulatory and compliance frameworks relating to the pharmaceutical and health sectors ^{(1, 2)}.

Multiple, accessible pathways for our community to engage with the Symposium have been designed as follows:

1. Consumer leadership in program governance

The Australian COPD Symposium Scientific Committee membership includes two Consumer Representatives. These members are empowered to advocate for lived experience priorities and to help ensure the scientific program reflects issues that matter most to people impacted by COPD.

 2. Supported participation of professional consumer representatives

A select number of Consumer Representatives are invited to attend the Symposium in person. These participants are part of Lung Foundation Australia’s Consumer Advisory Committee, COPD Consumer Advocate groups, and the professional networks of Scientific Committee members.

These representatives attend for their own professional development, and may also contribute to the program in ways that align with their interests and

expertise, including:

• Speaking in-person or submitting a video presentation focussed on their lived experience or involvement in research
• Contributing to panel discussions
• Chairing scientific sessions
• Participating in abstract scoring

Participation is supported and structured to ensure it is meaningful for Consumer Representatives and appropriate to the scientific context of the event.

3. Free, national access to a dedicated virtual consumer program

For our broader community of people living with COPD, their loved ones and carers, we will deliver a free, national virtual program following the Scientific Symposium.

This program was designed by the Consumer Subcommittee of the Scientific Committee and will feature:

• Distilled presentations hand-picked from the Scientific Program, delivered by the Symposium’s invited speakers
• Updates on the latest advances in COPD care, including emerging research and medical treatments, non‑pharmacological approaches and best‑practice self‑management

This is an opportunity for the COPD community to hear directly from nationally leading experts in an accessible and relevant format.

View the dedicated Consumer Program and register now.