For the purpose of these standards, ambulatory care is defined as non-emergency, condition-specific single visit or episodic care generally provided on an outpatient basis in support of primary care.
Accreditation Canada's sector and service-based standards help organizations assess quality at the point of service delivery. They are based upon five key elements1 of service excellence: clinical leadership, people, process, information, and performance.
These standards contain the following subsections:
Investing in ambulatory care services
Engaging prepared and proactive staff
Providing safe and appropriate services
Maintaining safe and appropriate equipment and devices
Maintaining accessible and efficient clinical information systems
Monitoring quality and achieving positive outcomes
1 Nelson et al, “Microsystems in Healthcare: Part 1: Learning from High-Performing Front-Line