CCHSA Provides the Romanow Commission with recommendation on Canada’s current health care system

(OTTAWA, November 14, 2001) - Improvements to the current health care system are clearly needed to ensure that clients/patients/residents and staff continue to benefit from care, safety, leadership and quality practices within Canadian health care organizations. This is the message the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation (CCHSA) told the Romanow Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada on November 1, 2001.

As the only national body that directly evaluates quality across many health care sectors, CCHSA has a unique view of the health care system in Canada. Drawing on evidence from accreditation reviews over the last three years, CCHSA offered ten recommendations that address the need for:

• Care practices that are ethical, consistent, based on standards and which include informed consent and good documentation in the health record,
• Quality practices that involve coordinated measurement systems which see health care organizations constantly evaluating what they do and using relevant indicators to assess the difference they make,
• Safety practices that include regular testing of emergency plans with drills and effective use of space, and
• Leadership practices which have governing boards, owners, management, funders and other important stakeholders working together to provide vision, direction and support.

CCHSA can influence the direction of a number of these issues through the development of its standards and quality review programs and was pleased to participate in this phase of the Commission’s work. It anxiously awaits the opportunity to be involved in the next phase of public consultations.

CCHSA is an independent, non-profit, non-government organization whose mission is to promote excellence in the provision of quality health care and the efficient use of resources in health organizations throughout Canada. The CCHSA has been in existence for close to 50 years. It recognizes that the ultimate beneficiary of its work is the people of Canada.