Standards of Care

Australian Standards of Care for Childhood-onset Heart Disease (CoHD)

Excellence in Healthcare for all Australians affected by CoHD

The Australian National Standards of Care for Childhood-onset Heart Disease provide a reference point describing the breadth of care needed for people with CoHD and their families to ‘live well’ throughout their life. The CoHD Standards will help patients, families and carers know what they should expect to be included in their care. It will also help governments, health services and health professionals design and deliver the range of services to provide holistic care and support.

These standards were launched by the Minister for Health and Aged Care, The Hon Mark Butler MP, at Parliament House in Canberra in February 2024. The work is part of the National Strategic Action Plan for Childhood Heart Disease launched in 2019 and one of a number of projects being undertaken by HeartKids as part of the Action Plan. It is also part of ongoing engagement and advocacy facilitated by HeartKids.

About the CoHD Standards of Care

• The purpose of the CoHD Standards is to provide a framework to ensure all Australian patients and families affected by CoHD receive excellent and holistic care.
• The CoHD Standards hold patients and families at the centre and use a whole-of-life approach aimed at providing excellence and good health as target, inclusive of mental health and neurodevelopmental care. These standards provide a clear and evidence-based reference for the delivery of care, and ongoing planning of services for patients, families, healthcare professionals, service developers, and policy makers..
• The CoHD Standards recognise and address the challenges associated with access and equity to specialty services across regional and rural Australia and facing priority populations.
• The CoHD Standards  provide a framework for the development of clinical guidelines and evaluation of infrastructure needs. They will also inform and guide clinical care, education, and embed the role of research for CoHD.
• The CoHD Standards will support patients and families in their decision-making by providing information about the healthcare services they can expect to receive.

Key Project Contacts

Project Co-Chairs

• Professor Gary Sholler AM
• Dr Lisa Selbie

Project Coordinators (HeartKids staff)

• Dr Mary Tallon  
• Dr Karen Farrar

Contact 

• standardsofcare@heartkids.org.au

Find out more

You can find the CoHD Standards and read more about how they were developed and can be used on the Australian National Standards of Care for Childhood-onset Heart Disease website.