Public Health Services

Accreditation Canada's sector- and service-based standards help organizations assess quality at the point of service delivery and embed a culture of quality, safety, and client- and family-centred care into all aspects of service delivery. The standards are based on five key elements of service excellence: clinical leadership, people, process, information, and performance.

Accreditation is one of the most effective ways for organizations to regularly and consistently examine and improve the quality of their services. The standards provide a tool for organizations to embed accreditation and quality improvement activities into their daily operations with the primary focus being on including the client and family as true partners in service delivery.

Client- and family-centred care is an approach that guides all aspects of planning, delivering and evaluating services. The focus is always on creating and nurturing mutually beneficial partnerships among the organization’s team members and the clients and families they serve. Providing client- and family-centred care means working collaboratively with clients and their families to provide care that is respectful, compassionate, culturally safe, and competent, while being responsive to their needs, values, cultural backgrounds and beliefs, and preferences (adapted from the Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care (IPFCC) 2008 and Saskatchewan Ministry of Health 2011).

Accreditation Canada has adopted the four values that are fundamental to this approach, as outlined by the IPFCC, and integrated into the service excellence standards. The values are:

1. Dignity and respect: Listening to and honouring client and family perspectives and choices. Client and family knowledge, values, beliefs, and cultural backgrounds are incorporated into the planning and delivery of care. 
2. Information sharing: Communicating and sharing complete and unbiased information with clients and families in ways that are affirming and useful. Clients and families receive timely, complete, and accurate information in order to effectively participate in care and decision-making.
3. Partnership and participation: Encouraging and supporting clients and families to participate in care and decision making to the extent that they wish.
4. Collaboration: Collaborating with clients and families in policy and program development, implementation and evaluation, facility design, professional education, and delivery of care.

The Accreditation Canada Public Health Services Standards focus on maintaining and improving the health of the population by designing and delivering services that affect groups and populations of people. The standards address the full range of the determinants of health to reduce inequities in health between and within populations.

The Public Health Services Standards include the following sections:
 
Building knowledge and understanding of population needs and assets
Standard 1.0 - 2.0: The organization assesses population health status and maintains a comprehensive surveillance system to monitor public health threats.
 
Investing in public health services
Standard 3.0: The organization plans and designs its programs and services to meet community health needs.
 
Building a prepared and competent team 
Standard 4.0 - 5.0: The team's staff and service providers are qualified and competent, and the well-being and worklife balance of the team is promoted.
 
Creating conditions for meaningful engagement with partners
Standard 6.0: The organization engages community partners and stakeholders to address population health needs.
 
Promoting the health of the population 
Standard 7.0 - 9.0: With its partners, the organization develops and implements effective public health communication strategies, contributes to public policy, and empowers and builds capacity within the community to promote the health of the population.
 
Investing in prevention for improved population health
Standard 10.0 - 11.0: The organization engages in a wide range of prevention activities, including providing safe immunization services.
 
Protecting the health of the population 
Standard 12.0 - 13.0: The organization enforces public health laws and regulations to protect people from health and safety hazards, and is prepared to respond to public health emergencies.
 
Maintaining efficient information systems to support decision making
Standard 14.0: The organization manages public health data and information to support evidence-informed decisions.
 
Monitoring quality and achieving positive outcomes
Standard 15.0 - 16.0: The organization uses research and evidence, and collects and uses indicator data, to inform and improve its services.

All Accreditation Canada standards are developed through a rigorous process that includes a comprehensive literature review, consultation with a standards working group or advisory committee comprised of experts in the field, and evaluation by client organizations and other stakeholders.