Message & Update from the TAC Trauma Accreditation Committee

A Message and Update from the TAC Trauma Accreditation Committee (TACTAC)- April 2019

Trauma system “accreditation” recognizes trauma systems that demonstrate clinical excellence and an outstanding commitment to leadership in trauma care.  It promotes a coordinated system approach to trauma beginning with pre-hospital care and continuing through hospital-care and rehabilitation. It consists of specialized standards, protocols and performance indicators that support excellence and innovation.

TAC Recognizes the value of accreditation as a means to drive quality in care and improve trauma for all Canadians and values the structured and methodical assessment of trauma centers and regional trauma systems in Canada in order to promote such quality.  Currently in Canada, formal “accreditation” of systems (and the sites within those systems) is available across the country through the Trauma Distinction Program (https://accreditation.ca/trauma-distinction/) of Accreditation Canada which was originally developed in past partnership with TAC, based on the 2011 TAC Trauma System Accreditation Guidelines  (TAC 2011 Accreditation Guidelines ).  This program is currently proprietary to and delivered by Accreditation Canada.

Evaluation of trauma centers with the trauma network of the province of Quebec is also done on a regular basis through the Quality and Performance program delivered through the Institute National d’Excellence en Santè et en Services Sociaux (INESSS) (https://www.inesss.qc.ca/).

South of the border, the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma has a robust trauma center verification program that has been broadly utilized across the States, based on its “Resources for Optimal Care of the Inured Patient (6th edition readily available at:
https://www.facs.org/quality-programs/trauma/tqp/center-programs/vrc/resources)

TACTAC, the Trauma Accreditation Committee of TAC, recognizes the value of national standards of care in trauma.   Although, currently, no one model may meet the demands of all regions of the country, we are working to determine what, if any, processes can be recommended to fit the needs of our members, from East to West.  This is a “work in progress” and we welcome the input of all TAC members to inform our discussions!    Please do not hesitate to contact the chair of the Committee, Dr Natalie Yanchar at Natalie.yanchar@ahs.ca or any other member of the committee with your thoughts, ideas and questions.

TACTAC members
Dr Julien Clement julien.clement@chudequebec.ca
Catherine Jones cjonesy@telus.net
Amanda McFarlan mcfarlana@smh.ca
Dr Neil Merritt Neil.Merritt@lhsc.on.ca
Dr Neil Parry neil.parry@lhsc.on.ca
Dr Lorraine Tremblay  lorraine.tremblay@sunnybrook.ca
Dr Mary vanWijngaarden-Stephens mary.stephens@ualberta.ca
Ian Watson Ian.Watson@HorizonNB.ca