How to use the CoHD Standards
Using the Standards
The CoHD Standards can be used as a reference for healthcare workers and for patients families and carers when developing and interacting with CoHD and ACHD services.
For the health sector
For the health sector
Australian National Standards of Care for Childhood-onset Heart Disease (the Standards PDF)
Australian National Standards of Care for Childhood-onset Heart Disease are published in the journal Heart, Lung and Circulation, as open access
Australian National Standards of Care for Childhood-onset Heart Disease Implementation Plan
Australian National Standards of Care for Childhood-onset Heart Disease self-evaluation tool – available on request by contacting the CoHD Standards of Care Project Team
The CoHD Standards inform how health professionals and health services deliver excellent care by:
- Holding patients and families at the centre of care and providing tailored, coordinated and personalised treatment throughout life.
- Minimising the lifelong impact of childhood heart disease – helping patients live their best lives, for the whole of their lives, through prevention, improved outcomes and improved quality of life.
- Ensuring a focus on psychosocial care – protecting young children from the psychological consequences of serious medical illness early in life, and supporting the mental health and neurodevelopmental care of patients throughout life.
- Supporting better transition from paediatric to adult heart healthcare.
“Suddenly immersed into the world of cardiac treatment can be overwhelming for a new parent. Medical terms you’ve never heard before, procedures you’re unfamiliar with and floods of information to absorb. The Standards of Care is a wonderful initiative, allowing those affected by CoHD to understand what excellent physical and mental health care should look like.” – Parent of a child with CoHD.
For patients, families and carers
Document designed for patients, families and carers:
About the Australian National Standards of Care for Childhood-onset Heart Disease (pdf)– this document provides a summary of the Standards for easy reference
The CoHD Standards are designed to help patients, families and carers:
- Understand the elements and connections needed for health services to provide high quality care in the context of CoHD and ACHD.
- Understand what they can and should expect in their CoHD or ACHD journey.
- Ask questions about available services to make decisions about care that will best suit them and their family.
“As a consumer, I am excited to know that the CoHD Standards have been developed by merging patient perspectives and lived experiences with expert knowledge and evidence-based research. I feel this will not only contribute to ensuring that healthcare services and providers are equipped to provide excellent clinical management for childhood-onset cardiac disease, but that they are also equipped to prioritise the human at the centre of that disease, and the unique needs, goals, and values accompanying them.” – An adult with CoHD.
If you have any questions or concerns about the CoHD Standards, or how they are being implemented or met/not met by healthcare services, you can contact us.