Building Better Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplant Services for
Canadians

OTTAWA, April 22 /CNW Telbec/ - In celebration of National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week (April 18-25), Accreditation Canada is pleased to announce that new standards for organ and tissue donation and transplant are part of the accreditation program.

Canada has a significant opportunity to improve its rates of organ and tissue donation. "Organ and tissue donation and transplant is an area of great health care importance contributing to sustaining and improving quality of life," says Wendy Nicklin, Accreditation Canada President and CEO. "Including this new component in our accreditation program will result in a more consistent health care delivery approach across the country and improve the rates of donation and transplant in Canada."

The standards address a diversity of services, varying in complexity. They will be used by health professionals working in a variety of organizations, from smaller community hospitals that play a crucial role in identifying potential donors, to larger tertiary care centres that provide care throughout the continuum, including donor identification, referral and management, transplant and follow-up care. The standards will help ensure that all Canadians have access to the same high level of quality care.

Work on this project began in 2006. Accreditation Canada sought input from health care organization clinical leaders and experts in this specialized area. The advisory committee that guided the standards' development consisted of representatives from across the country, including Health Canada. Canadian Blood Services, the Trillium Gift of Life Network, and other partners, such as organ procurement organizations and CSA Standards, provided input and funding. The standards were extensively pilot-tested in a number of health care facilities across Canada.

"By ensuring consistency, we can benchmark performance and identify best practices," says Dr. Graham Sher, CEO of Canadian Blood Services. "From our work on the blood, stem cell and, now, organ and tissue systems in Canada, we know that rigorous standards are critical in ensuring patient safety and positive outcomes."

Accreditation Canada (www.accreditation.ca) is a not-for-profit, independent organization that provides national and international health and social service organizations with an external peer review to assess the quality of their services based on standards of excellence. Accredited by the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua), Accreditation Canada's programs and guidance have helped thousands of organizations strive for excellence since 1958.

For further information: Liane Craig, Director, Strategic Communications, [phone] ext. 301, [email protected]