Transforming CF care through the power of partnership.
Cystic fibrosis (CF) treatment has been transformed in recent years. But better treatments haven’t made living with CF simple – and the quality of the conversations between people with CF, their families, and their healthcare teams shapes everything.
PEP-Aus stands for Partnership Enhancement Program Australia – a collaborative initiative bringing evidence-based communication training to Australian CF healthcare teams, designed to help ensure that every conversation counts.
Collaboration to enhance communication and partnership across the Australian CF community
Cystic fibrosis care is changing. It’s time for communication to catch up.
Breakthrough medications called CFTR modulators have dramatically improved health outcomes and life expectancy for many people with cystic fibrosis (CF).
But living with CF still means making constant, complex decisions – about medications, therapies, lifestyle, and goals. Furthermore, as treatments evolve, new challenges emerge. Some people experience unexpected side effects or emerging disease complications. Others, who don’t benefit from the newer therapies, face their own struggles with motivation and engagement. Every person’s experience is different.
At the heart of navigating CF care is the quality of the conversation between people with CF, families, and the healthcare team
Research shows that communication gaps in CF care are common and consequential. People with CF and their caregivers often experience concerns and barriers that go unspoken during appointments. Clinicians, meanwhile, may not always have the tools, training, or time to draw these out. When perspectives aren’t shared, opportunities to personalise care are missed – and this can affect how well treatments work, and how people living with CF feel day to day.
A shared decision-making approach – where people with CF, caregivers, and clinicians work together as a team – has been shown to improve outcomes. But this kind of partnership doesn’t happen automatically. It requires deliberate effort, and the right skills. Despite the evidence for communication-centred care, Australia currently has no CF-specific communication training program for healthcare teams.
PEP-Aus is here to change that. Grounded in a program that has already been reshaping CF care across the United States, PEP-Aus is being co-created with the Australian CF community – adapting world-leading communication training for Australian healthcare teams, people with CF, and their families.
A collaborative effort — for everyone living with, or caring for, CF in Australia
PEP-Aus is being built by CF healthcare professionals, researchers and people living with CF – together. It is the first initiative of its kind in Australia, and a step toward a national standard of care where communication and partnership are central, not incidental.
[Explore the need for communication training →]
PEP-Aus is being built on the Principles of Co-Production
PEP-Aus isn’t just about partnership in care. Every aspect of this initiative, from how decisions are made to how contributions are recognised, is guided by a fully co-produced model. That means people with CF, their families, and healthcare professionals all have an equal voice in shaping this work – not as participants, but as co-creators.
Six Principles of Co-Production guide everything we do:
- Equality of Expertise – Lived experience, clinical practice, research, and system knowledge are all recognised as valid and essential.
- Shared Purpose – Members work collaboratively toward common goals.
- Mutual Respect – All contributions are welcomed and considered with professionalism and openness.
- Transparency in Decision-Making – Roles, responsibilities, and decision processes are made clear.
- Inclusivity and Accessibility – Participation is supported through accessible processes, materials, and discussions.
- Reciprocity – Contributions are acknowledged appropriately, including recognition and remuneration where applicable.
Latest Updates from PEP-Aus
Here’s what’s been happening with PEP-Aus most recently:
- Grant funding secured from Cystic Fibrosis Western Australia (CFWA) for a two-year period (2025–2027).
- Multidisciplinary project team established, with patient partners involved from day one.
- 16 stakeholder meetings completed, with people with CF represented in 73% of meetings.
- Six team members have completed PEP facilitator training to support local adaptation and delivery.
- Ethics application submitted to the University of Western Australia (outcome pending).
- Abstract accepted for oral and poster presentation at the Australasian CF Conference (ACFC), August 2026.
Last updated May 2026. This section will be updated regularly as the project progresses. For the full picture, visit our Progress page.
Explore PEP-Aus
Why communication training matters in CF care
Communication in CF care has lagged behind other advancements in CF management. Learn about the evidence behind PEP-Aus and why our work is so timely.
About the PEP-Aus initiative
From its origins in the US to its Australian co-production and Western Australia pilot – find out how PEP-Aus is being built, tested, and designed for national impact.
What we have been up to, and what next for PEP-Aus
The PEP-Aus project is underway! Follow our progress and explore the next steps – from working group formation and community consultation through to co-creation and pilot delivery.
Help us bring PEP-Aus to life
Whether you’re a person living with CF, a CF healthcare professional or researcher, consumer organisation, or potential funder/sponsor, we’d love to hear from you to explore meaningful ways for you to be part of this work.
[Explore partnership opportunities →]
[Complete the Partner Contact Form →]
The Partnership Enhancement Program – Australia (PEP-Aus) initiative, including its website and PEP-Aus resources, are being developed through a fully collaborative co-design and co-production process facilitated by the PEP-Aus Working Group, engaging members of the CF community, including people with CF, caregivers and CF healthcare professionals from across Australia.
The PEP-Aus initiative is currently funded via a Research Innovation grant (2025-2027) from Conquer Cystic Fibrosis, Cystic Fibrosis Western Australia and the Western Australian Future Health Research and Innovation Fund.
Any resources in the PEP-Aus website should be used in consultation with a healthcare practitioner.