The ACHSInternational Quality Program is a four-year quality improvement program for health care organisations to work towards becoming accredited; assisting in their quality improvement efforts.

The key components are:

·       the international standards that organisations work towards achieving

·       a yearly self-assessment of performance against those standards

·       assistance and feedback on a desk top review of self-assessments

·       second yearly on-site surveys by an external, experienced team of accreditation surveyors to provide an independent assessment of performance against the international standards

·       the development of a Quality Action Plan (QAP) by the organisation.

The principles upon which the Program is developed and the characteristics displayed by an improving organisation are:

·       patient focus

·       effective leadership

·       a culture of improving

·       evidence of outcomes

·       striving for best practice.

The ACHS International standards framework contains five functions; made up of standards, criteria and several hundred explanatory elements.