The ACHS Evaluation and Quality Improvement Program (EQuIP) was launched in 1996. The current edition, EQuIP 4, was introduced in January 2007. EQuIP was developed by the ACHS to assist healthcare organisations to strive for excellence and was designed to be used by all types of organisations which provide health care.

The ACHS undertakes a comprehensive EQuIP standards review and consultation process at least every four years to ensure the standards remain current and continue to reflect best practice. The ACHS uses a consultative approach to standards development that lasts approximately two years. The process begins with the formation of working groups to develop a first draft of revised standards and moves to field review of the draft, desk-top audits and onsite pilot testing surveys. Approval of the standards, criteria and elements by the ACHS Standards Committee is followed by final ratification by the ACHS Board.

The review of EQuIP 4 commenced in October 2008, and the revision of the standards, criteria and elements commenced in February 2009 with the assistance of over 140 healthcare professionals on Working Groups and Reference Groups. Members of these groups were from a broad cross-section of member organisations to provide expert advice necessary to revise the standards. Clinicians, quality managers, risk managers, administrators, allied health professionals, consumers, surveyors and representatives from various jurisdictions participated.