Population Health and Wellness

The Population Health and Wellness standards will be applied to a priority population, or multiple priority populations, that is identified by the organization. Priority populations could be condition-specific (e.g. mental health or cancer), or age-specific (e.g. children and youth or seniors). An organization may select its priority population(s) based on priorities set out by the provincial or territorial government, or the organization's own strategic plan and priorities.

Accreditation Canada's standards for Population Health and Wellness are based on:

• Wagners et al's Chronic Care Model (which has been adopted in many provinces and organizations across Canada)
• the Expanded Chronic Care Model developed in British Columbia
• input from an expert multi-disciplinary standards working group, and
• a review of research and best practices 

Many services promoting population health  are delivered by primary care providers in the community. These standards address the importance of primary care, the need to align acute and tertiary care to support the services provided by primary care providers, and the importance of integrating services across the continuum of care.

These standards contain the following sections:

• Investing in population health and wellness services
• Integrating and coordinating health services across the continuum of care
• Basing decisions on research and evidence
• Using information and information technology
• Monitoring quality and achieving positive outcomes