The Australasian Association for Quality in Health Care (AAQHC) is a group of professionals working to improve quality and safety in Australia and New Zealand.

Our founding members were specialists in quality assurance and medical records. Since our inception in 1990, we have expanded our membership base to include all sectors including community and aged care.  Our vision and missions is to be the voice for safety and quality in the healthcare sector and a key source of training, accreditation and information for professionals. Our constitution, governing body manual and policies can be read below. 

Ensuring best care is provided every day – and being accreditation ready every day

The Australian health care industry is constantly in the public eye, and rightfully so. COVID 19 may have turned up the focus on our industry, but prior to these events there were many news stories about the quality of health, community and aged care services. Regardless of our roles, healthcare professionals should aim to deliver high quality safe care and services every day, and build from our learning along the way.

Australia’s mandatory accreditation programs challenge us to identify and manage clinical and operational risks, and find initiatives to improve care outcomes.   In our industry, the best staff are equipped to review problems and address them effectively, disseminate new findings and information, and develop skills and knowledge.

In an Australian context, delivering high quality care is also about addressing equity in health and making sure benefits from technology and new research are shared. We need to consider changing demographics, cultural differences in our community, and the privacy issues that come with data collection and management. Recent high profile examples such as the Royal Commission into Aged Care and the launch of My Health Record have highlighted the role safety and quality can play in building trust with the community. 

Leading the way

The AAQHC is a membership-based organisation that:

  • provides support and encouragement to individuals and organisations seeking to improve health outcomes for consumers;
  • provides a voice on safety and quality issues;
  • facilitates opportunities for communication and co-operation and the exchange of ideas and experiences;
  • facilitates and supports ongoing education and development with regular webinars and training sessions; and
  • recognises qualifications and experience to Associate Fellow and Fellow status through a credentialing program.

Traditionally focussed on the acute sector, the expansion of health settings beyond traditional care means we now work with professionals from primary, community and aged care sectors.

Your career in safety and quality

Our members come from all areas of healthcare and and with our support through our credentialing and mentoring programs many have expanded their professional careers in quality and safety. The diversity of the membership base provides a vast source of contacts, information and funds to ensure we remain a pivotal influence in the health care industry.

As a member of AAQHC, you will benefit from:

  • a Fellow credentialing program recognising knowledge, skills and competencies in quality safety and risk management;
  • a mentoring program linking you to like-minded professionals to share experiences and expertise
  • education, training and professional development through our webinars and education portal; discounts on Australian College of Nursing courses;
  • up-to-date news on industry trends and information; and
  • the exchange of ideas and experiences with a national and international community in your field.

Join us today and help ensure the continued strengthening of our national healthcare system.

 Key documents