The CoHD Standards
The CoHD Standards outline best practice healthcare for patients and families impacted by CoHD and ACHD, focusing on the structure and coordinated delivery of services in Australia.
The CoHD Standards outline best practice healthcare for patients and families impacted by CoHD and ACHD, focusing on the structure and coordinated delivery of services in Australia.
Preview the Standards
Standard 1 – CoHD Services
Requirements for high quality CoHD healthcare services in Australia, including:
- types of CoHD healthcare services available in Australia
- training and education required for CoHD specialists
- the range of healthcare professionals who provide specialist CoHD healthcare.
Standard 2 – Regional CoHD
Healthcare services in regional areas, covering:
- provision of coordinated high quality care close to home where possible
- information sharing between regional CoHD/other healthcare providers and CoHD specialists from large city services.
Standard 3 – Paediatric Cardiology
Requirements for paediatric cardiologists, including:
- specialist CoHD knowledge and skills in diagnostic imaging
- care during pregnancy
- family genetic assessment and counselling
- interventional cardiac catheter procedures in childhood
- conditions impacting heart rhythm
- specialist care for heart failure.
Standard 4 – Paediatric Cardiac and ACHD Surgery
Congenital cardiac surgery for children and adults, including:
- specialist knowledge and training requirements for paediatric and adult congenital heart surgeons
- specialist knowledge, skills and training for CoHD anaesthetists and perfusionists
- access to specialist nurses for patients and families
- requirements when assessing the need for heart transplantation
- how services are evaluated.
Standard 5 – Transition to Adult Care
Transitioning form paediatric to adult CoHD care, including:
- the importance of starting transition early
- a carefully planned process
- transitions that are individually tailored for patients, families and their carers.
Standard 6 – ACHD Cardiology
Requirements for specialist cardiologists who care for adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD), covering:
- specialist knowledge and training
- comprehensive care for patients, families and carers.
Standard 7 – Nursing
High quality CoHD nursing care for paediatric and adult patients delivered by:
- specialist Advanced Practice Nurses and,
- specialised CoHD nurses who have knowledge, training and skills in caring for patients, families and carers.
Standard 8 – Mental Health and Psychological Care
Mental health and support for patients, families and carers, including:
- care that begins at diagnosis
- care that is integrated into CoHD healthcare
- end-of-life and bereavement care.
Standard 9 – Neurodevelopmental and Neurocognitive Care
Neurodevelopmental and neurocognitive care including:
- supporting development through infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood
- neurodevelopmental and neurocognitive screening, evaluation and care
- responding to developmental needs both in and outside the hospital
Standard 10 – Priority Populations
Equitable access to coordinated CoHD healthcare for:
- Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- those with refugee backgrounds
- those with limited access to healthcare.
CoHD healthcare should:
- be sensitively planned
- be culturally respectful
- be compassionate
- emphasise the importance of knowledge of the impact of trauma
- improve cultural, social and environmental support for patients, families and carers.
Standard 11 – Research
The role of research. Involvement in CoHD national and international research should:
- be driven by discovery
- involve the whole of life
- be guided by patient experience.
Standard 12 – Health Information and Digital Communication Technology
High quality CoHD services across Australia through quality, secure technology to improve collaboration on and communication of patient care details, including:
- telehealth
- databases
- digital communication tools and,
- establishment of peak craft groups.
Find out how you can use the CoHD Standards for your own professional or personal circumstances.
Translated versions of the Standards
The CoHD Standards summary document is also available translated into the following languages: