Annual Activity Report 2024
Hospital Standard v2 · Training & Education Standards · Three New Standards Opened
ASF International Standards Council · Published March 2025
Standards Activity 2024
Hospital Standard — Version 2.0
The Hospital Standard was revised and published as ASF-HOSP-STD-v2 in March 2024. The revision incorporated surveyor field experience from 2021–2023, the two deferred proposals from 2021, and updated WHO frameworks on patient safety and infection prevention. The public consultation ran for 45 days (extended from 30 in recognition of the standard’s scope and international reach). Four pilot sites were used across two countries. Two minor amendments from v1.1 were consolidated into the main text.
Training & Education Standards — Version 1.0
The ASF Training & Education Standards (ASF-TE-STD-v1) were published in June 2024, establishing the framework for accrediting CPD activities, course providers, and educational programmes against ASF standards. The standard grounds ASF’s fourth pillar — alongside organisational standards, standards development, and surveyor training.
Three new standards — drafting begun
Drafting panels were convened for three new standards: Primary Health Clinic (ASF-PHC-STD), Fitness & Wellness (ASF-FIT-STD), and Telemedicine (ASF-TELE-STD). Evidence reviews were completed for all three by Q4 2024. The PHC evidence review drew on WHO primary care frameworks and the Astana Declaration; the Fitness & Wellness review incorporated ACSM guidelines; the Telemedicine review incorporated WHO digital health guidance and emerging EU telehealth regulation.
Conflict of interest — second recusal
One Council member was recused from the Telemedicine Standard revision panel on grounds of current advisory engagement with a telemedicine platform provider. The recusal was managed in accordance with the COI procedure and is disclosed here. The member participated fully in all other standards work.
Council expanded to eight
One new Council member was appointed with expertise in health informatics and digital health, in anticipation of the Telemedicine Standard drafting. All eight members submitted updated annual declarations. No new conflicts were identified in the annual review.
Year at a Glance
| Standards active at year-end | 6 |
| New standards published | 2 |
| Standards reviewed (scheduled) | 4 |
| Public consultations conducted | 3 |
| Pilot sites used | 5 |
| Revision proposals received | 11 |
| Proposals accepted / incorporated | 4 |
| COI declarations filed | 9 |
| COI-triggered recusals | 1 |
| Standards appeals received | 0 |
| Council members (year-end) | 8 |
In 2025, ASF planned to complete the Primary Health Clinic, Fitness & Wellness, and Telemedicine standards, open the Home Care standard, and complete the first revision of the Ambulatory Clinic and Surveyor Training standards.
