Process for Guidelines Development

The Australasian Health Facility Guidelines are developed using a process that:

• reviews exiting guidelines and technical standards from Australia and overseas

• researches and considers evolving trends in the delivery of care, emerging technologies and changing government policies

• references research based evidence developed within the Australasian region, UK, USA, Europe and other countries that CHAA collates in regularly issued reports on emerging trends that affect health facility design (click here for the latest report) and in useful lists of references that impact on Guideline development and on health facility design (click here for references)

• applies all these findings to the Australasian health system context in producing the draft Guidelines for ongoing peer review by government, industry and health service stakeholders

• undertakes regular review and update of key Guidelines sections especially those most likely to be affected by ongoing health system and technological evolution, as part of an identified program of work agreed by CHAA and HCAMC each calendar year. For information regarding the current and upcoming programs, click here.

• is a process of continuous improvement, accepting commentary and feedback from all Guidelines stakeholders not only as part of the peer review processes, but also at any other time. Click here to offer commentary on the Guidelines or to offer assistance in reviewing future Guideline content – for a program of upcoming work, click here.

• overseen by a clear and transparent governance structure that enables endorsement of the Guidelines by HCAMC jurisdictions at the highest level of government. For information regarding project governance, click here.

• is clearly documented and transparent with all reviewers selected according to agreed selection criteria, all commentary received rigorously tracked and documented, all enquiries to CHAA recorded including the responses made, and all issue of Guideline documents, website updates, etc, carried out in accordance with clear protocols agreed with HCAMC. All previous Guidelines versions are archived on the UNSW file server and on portable media and hence easily retrieved as required.