ASF Hospital Accreditation Standard
The primary ASF accreditation standard for general and specialist hospitals. Developed 2024–2025; planned for submission to ISQua EEA for standards accreditation in 2026.
EditionVersion 8.0
StatusPublished — in operational use
ISQua EEA submissionSeptember 2026 — submitted for standards accreditation evaluation
Total criteria167 criteria across 20 standards
Criterion classificationCritical · Essential · Significant · Developmental
LanguagesEnglish (authoritative) · French (working translation)
Applicable facility typesGeneral hospitals · Specialist hospitals · Teaching hospitals
Related evidenceASF-EV-001 (evidence bibliography) · ASF-EV-002 (stakeholder consultation) · ASF-EV-003 (pilot validation)
● ISQua EEA standards accreditation pending — submitted September 2026
Standard Structure — 20 Standards, 167 Criteria
Governance, Leadership and Strategic Management
28 criteria
Patient Rights and Ethical Framework
18 criteria
Clinical Care and Patient Safety
42 criteria
Workforce and Human Resources
24 criteria
Infection Prevention and Control
22 criteria
Information Management and Medical Records
20 criteria
Physical Environment, Facilities and Equipment
22 criteria
Quality Improvement and Organisational Learning
22 criteria
Criterion Classification System
Each criterion is classified into one of four tiers. Critical criteria are weighted at 2× in the final score. Any single Critical criterion rated Nonconformant results in Non-Accreditation, regardless of the overall score.
- Critical — Non-compliance poses an immediate and serious risk to patient safety or organisational viability (38 criteria)
- Essential — Non-compliance represents a significant quality or safety gap that must be addressed (72 criteria)
- Significant — Non-compliance indicates a material quality gap; corrective action required (54 criteria)
- Developmental — Reflects best-practice targets for organisations to work toward over time (34 criteria)
Development and Evidence Base
The standard was developed over 2024–2025 through a five-round stakeholder consultation involving 57 participants from 11 countries, followed by pilot surveys at 11 facilities across two cohorts in Georgia, France, Lebanon, Kenya, and Switzerland. Full development history is documented in ASF-GOV-001; the evidence base is in ASF-EV-001; the consultation record is in ASF-EV-002; and the pilot results are in ASF-EV-003.
ASF Hospital Accreditation Standard · Version 8.0 · Approved January 2025 · ISQua EEA submission planned 2026 ·
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