TGA stakeholder survey 2016
TGA activities - information sessions, consultative processes and events
Involvement in TGA activities
A total of 555 participants in the survey highlighted involvement in activities conducted by the TGA in the last 12 months (Table 41 and Figure 37). This represented around one in four responses to this question. The most common participation was in the form of an information session (n=370) or consultation process (322).
Table 41: Involvement in TGA activities
| Response | n |
|---|---|
| Information session | 370 |
| Consultative processes (e.g. responding to consultation documents) | 322 |
| Exhibition (e.g. at conference) | 77 |
| No - I have not been involved in any of these activities | 1622 |
Most participants who highlighted participation, indicated involvement in a single activity, however one in three had participated in more than one activity (Table 42).
Table 42: Involvement in TGA activities - Number of activities
| Number of activity selections | n |
|---|---|
| 1 | 370 |
| 2 | 156 |
| 3 | 29 |
| Average | 1.4 |
Figure 36: Involvement in TGA activities
Activities
A range of specific participation in consultations and events was identified. This most commonly included involvement in the Uniform recall procedure consultation and the event Medical Devices: how to stay included (Table 43 and Figures 38-39).
Table 43: Activity types - Involvement
| Consultation | n |
|---|---|
| Revised edition of the Uniform Recall Procedure for Therapeutic Goods. | 110 |
| Draft clinical evidence guidelines - Medical devices. | 85 |
| Proposed Amendments to the Poisons Standard. | 44 |
| Consultation - cimetidine, famotidine, nizatidine and ranitidine: corrected advisory statement for medicines. | 13 |
| Other | 114 |
| Event | n |
|---|---|
| Medical Devices: how to stay included | 153 |
| Devices Sponsor Information Day | 85 |
| Clinical trials Notification Roadshow | 49 |
| General Practice Conference and Exhibition | 6 |
| Rural Medicine Australia 2015 | 2 |
| 2015 National Nursing Forum | 0 |
| Other | 76 |
Figure 37: Activity types - Involvement - Consultative processes
Figure 38: Activity types - Involvement - Events
In addition to the events listed in the survey, participants also highlighted a range of "Other" involvement with TGA. This included a range of specific contacts and events, including:
Consultative processes
- Meetings
- Direct contacts and discussions
- Audits and audit guidelines
- Input on drafts and drafting procedures
- S19 consultation and guidance
- Working group participation
- Expert reviews
- Informal consultations
- GMP processes
- Labelling focussed discussions and consultation
- Permitted ingredients
- Manufacturing facilities and certification
- TGO 91/92
Events
- Conferences - e.g. ARCS
- Workshops
- Web sessions
- Seminars - e.g. RACI
- E-Business roadshows
- Risk Management Procedures sessions and workshops
Satisfaction with activities
Respondents were asked to highlight their satisfaction with a range of statements relating to the events they had participated in (Table 44). There was marked variation across measures. In particular, measures focussing on the information sessions showed very positive outcomes, with 80% or more satisfaction and very few responses indicating dissatisfaction.
Satisfaction with the consultations was lower and varied markedly across the areas tested, however in general, results in these areas remained fairly positive. Participants were generally positive in relation to the information provided and in two out of three cases were satisfied with the procedures employed, simplicity of the processes and ability to provide input and feedback on the consultation. A key opportunity area here relates to follow up on consultations processes, where only 47% expressed satisfaction and one in five participants highlight some level of dissatisfaction.
Table 44: Event satisfaction
| Statements | Nett Dissatisfied | Neither | Nett Satisfied | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consultation procedures | 10% | 23% | 67% | 283 |
| Information provided in the consultation documents | 7% | 19% | 74% | 281 |
| Simplicity of the consultation processes | 10% | 23% | 67% | 281 |
| Follow up on consultation processes | 22% | 31% | 47% | 279 |
| Ability to provide input and feedback on the consultation | 9% | 24% | 67% | 282 |
| Informativeness of the Exhibition | 0% | 25% | 75% | 8 |
| Quality of the Exhibition | 0% | 25% | 75% | 8 |
| Informativeness of the Information session | 7% | 13% | 80% | 238 |
| Quality of the Information session | 5% | 11% | 83% | 239 |
| Overall satisfaction with Consultations | 12% | 25% | 63% | 265 |
| Overall satisfaction with Exhibitions (Conference booths) | 0% | 25% | 75% | 8 |
| Overall satisfaction with Information sessions | 6% | 13% | 81% | 238 |
Satisfaction with consultations varied markedly across stakeholder categories, however the small sample sizes in all except the health professional and medical products industry categories makes comparison difficult (Tables 45-47). Across these categories there was a slight tendency for those in the medical products industry to show slightly higher satisfaction and lower dissatisfaction. This was the case in relation to consultation procedures, simplicity of processes and Ability to provide input and feedback on the consultation.
Table 45: Event satisfaction - Consultations - by Stakeholder category - Part A
| Category | Consultation procedures | Information provided in the consultation documents | Simplicity of the consultation processes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nett Dissatisfied | Nett Satisfied | Nett Dissatisfied | Nett Satisfied | Nett Dissatisfied | Nett Satisfied | |
| Health Professional | 17% | 60% | 13% | 73% | 21% | 60% |
| Medical Products Industry | 10% | 67% | 6% | 75% | 8% | 67% |
| Community member, consumer or community representative | 13% | 50% | 0% | 88% | 25% | 50% |
| Retailer | 13% | 38% | 0% | 63% | 25% | 63% |
| Government | 0% | 78% | 0% | 78% | 0% | 78% |
| Academic | 14% | 73% | 5% | 77% | 9% | 73% |
| Media | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other | 10% | 66% | 10% | 71% | 10% | 71% |
N: HP=56-58; MPI=213-214; COMM=8; RET=8; GOV=9; Ac=22; MED=0; OTH=41.
Table 46: Event satisfaction - Consultations - by Stakeholder category - Part B
| Category | Follow up on consultation processes | Ability to provide input and feedback on the consultation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nett Dissatisfied | Nett Satisfied | Nett Dissatisfied | Nett Satisfied | |
| Health Professional | 23% | 44% | 12% | 63% |
| Medical Products Industry | 25% | 44% | 8% | 68% |
| Community member, consumer or community representative | 25% | 38% | 0% | 50% |
| Retailer | 13% | 63% | 13% | 50% |
| Government | 11% | 56% | 11% | 67% |
| Academic | 14% | 55% | 9% | 64% |
| Media | - | - | - | - |
| Other | 17% | 59% | 15% | 63% |
N: HP=56-58; MPI=213-214; COMM=8; RET=8; GOV=9; Ac=22; MED=0; OTH=41.
Overall satisfaction was comparable across stakeholder categories in relation to consultations. Satisfaction with information sessions was higher amongst those in the medical products industry category, where there was a high level of satisfaction in comparison to the health professional group (although there were a limited number of respondents - n=25 - in this group).
Table 47: Overall satisfaction Consultations, Exhibitions, Info sessions - by Stakeholder category
| Category | Consultations | Exhibitions | Info sessions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nett Dissatisfied | Nett Satisfied | Nett Dissatisfied | Nett Satisfied | Nett Dissatisfied | Nett Satisfied | |
| Health Professional | 21% | 64% | 0% | 100% | 12% | 68% |
| Medical Products Industry | 12% | 62% | 0% | 50% | 5% | 84% |
| Community member, consumer or community representative | 0% | 63% | - | - | 0% | 100% |
| Retailer | 17% | 50% | - | - | 0% | 100% |
| Government | 0% | 56% | - | - | 0% | 64% |
| Academic | 10% | 67% | 0% | 100% | 0% | 70% |
| Media | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other | 13% | 66% | - | - | 11% | 73% |
N: HP=55, 4, 25; MPI=203,4,191; COMM=8,0,6; RET=6,0,4; GOV=9,0,11; Ac=21,3,10; MED=0,0,0; OTH=38,0,37.