Australasian Health Facility Guidelines
The Australasian Health Facility Guidelines (AusHFG) represent a significant body of freely available intellectual property, contained within practical resources suitable for application to all Australian and New Zealand jurisdictions. The AusHFG:
- are a vital starting point for design based on research, clinical and consumer input and other evidence - saving hundreds of hours of effort for designers, managers, constructors and clinicians on all public health infrastructure projects to which they have been applied
- provide flexible facility responses to allow for the delivery of current and emerging models of care, making health assets fit for purpose now and into the future
- support a more consistent understanding of terminology across the industry and is a resource that synthesises information across the wide spectrum of models of care being applied in Australia and New Zealand
- provide clarity to industry on issues of Australian and New Zealand significance for example facilities for the care of bariatric patients, telehealth trends and implications of infection and prevention control policy on facility design
- provide robust and practical tools that provide a common language for use in all jurisdictions and can help transform the clinical service delivery landscape for providers
- are a central resource for all government and non-government bodies that helps to reduce project costs, improve timeliness and importantly expose health facility planners and clinical service providers to new and better ways of approaching problems
- help disseminate current industry knowledge regarding good health facility design and accepted clinical practice in a format accessible to project design teams on all health projects
For further information about the use and application of the AusHFG please refer to Part A: Introduction and Instructions for Use.
AusHFG Review
The AusHFG are reviewed by the AusHFG Project Team on behalf of AHIA on a regular basis to ensure the information is contemporary and reflects changes in clinical practice, service models and technology.
The guidelines are reviewed using a policy community approach.
An annual work plan is used to track the update of the AusHFG resources.
Upcoming reviews are listed on the News & Updates page.
Feedback and input into these reviews is welcomed through the Give Feedback function provided.
A simple three step review process is used and adapted for all AusHFG resources:
Step 1: Evidence review and analysis
Including relevant:
- literature
- research
- regulations
- policies
- standards
- other industry guidelines
- post occupancy evaluation findings
- benchmarks
Step 2: Industry input and consumer consultation
Through:
- the formation of multidisciplinary expert review groups
- targeted interviews or focus groups
- moderated and collaborative staged review of resources
Step 3: AHIA review and approval
AHIA members:
- nominate review participants from their established clinical, industry and consumer networks
- review final resources and seek further input from relevant experts
- approve resources for publication
Contributions Past and Present
AHIA would like to acknowledge the contribution of many dedicated professionals and consumers, who provide their time on a voluntary basis to help review and update the AusHFG resources. The contributions of these individuals are invaluable and critical to the success of the AusHFG.