5 Biggest Takeaways from the AHSPO Conference

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The yearly AHSPO survey offers valuable insights into our members and helps us pinpoint things we’re doing well and areas we can improve. It also helps us better understand member demographics, attitudes and the value they gain from the AHSPO program. 

Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the survey.

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The Increasing Prominence of Clinical Advisory 

When looking at different attendee types, the clinical advisory role saw the biggest increase, rising from 11.4% to 21.1% since the previous survey. This growth was driven by the conference’s strong focus on clinical advisory topics, as well as the contributions of guest speakers such as Caron Adair and Sue McCallum. Their expertise added significant value to the event and inspired many professionals in the field to participate, engage and join the conference.

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Engaging the Next Generation

We asked about the tenure of our members. Younger numbers increased from 18% to 25% (those with a 1-5 year tenure), a positive sign that age diversity is shifting. However, nearly half of our members (46.8%) still have 20+ years of tenure, which means our membership still skews older. Bringing in younger members is crucial for sustaining our association's growth and relevance. This also presents an opportunity for our more experienced members to share their knowledge and mentor the next generation. 

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Email Newsletters Are Not Dead

Members were surveyed on their preferred sources for industry news. The top three responses were email newsletters (69.9%), social media (45.7%), and industry news websites (45.5%). We’ve listened and are excited to launch our updated newsletter to keep members up to date and informed.AHSPO will soon launch an email newsletter because we understand the importance of connecting with our members and keeping them up to date with the latest news.

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Members Hungry For More Journal Content 

In the survey, we asked members what they would like to see in the journal. They expressed a desire to see improved journal content, more educational content, and increased opportunities to participate in the journal. Members would most like more industry updates (69.2%) and guest contributor articles (53.8%). Members have expressed a desire for increased user-generated content and more frequent updates from groups like TGA and sponsors.

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We need to Raise Awareness of the Education Program

We asked members if they were aware of the AHSPO Education Program. Awareness dropped significantly from 79.7% to 56.5% in 2025. Education is the cornerstone of our organisation, and we clearly need to showcase its value.

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Did you know provides a wide range of opportunities to support professional growth, including the University of New England Undergraduate Degree, ArcBlue courses, and self-nominated courses through LEAN and Six Sigma. Our Education Officer is always available to help members explore different options to progress their learning and career. Visit the Education page for more information.

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Conclusion

Our association is powered by people, and your input matters to us. So please keep engaging and let us know what you want from the association. We love hearing from our members, so if you have any suggestions or feedback, please feel free to reach out. Your input helps make AHSPO a better and stronger community for everyone.