Provincial Correctional Health Services Standards

Accreditation Canada's provincial Correctional Health Services standards are intended for health services delivered in correctional facilities other than at the federal level, that have different security levels (minimum, medium, maximum), and diverse inmate (or prisoner, or offender) populations (including youth, women, Aboriginal, seniors). "Health services" is defined as including nursing assessments and interventions, diagnostic services, physician clinics, health promotion and prevention, emergency care, dental services, psychiatric and psychological services, special programs (e.g. Methadone), and dialysis. Correctional health services are planned, designed, delivered, modified, and evaluated to fit the needs of inmates while considering local and organizational security protocols.

Accreditation Canada's sector and service-based standards help organizations assess quality at the point of service delivery. They are based upon five key elements of service excellence: clinical leadership, people, process, information, and performance.

The provincial Correctional Health Services standards contain the following sections:

• Investing in correctional health services
• Engaging prepared and proactive health staff
• Providing safe and appropriate health services
• Maintaining accessible and efficient clinical information systems
• Monitoring quality and achieving positive outcomes