SAC is pleased to inform our members that we have formally submitted a comprehensive response to the Health Standards Organization (HSO) regarding the public review of the CAN/HSO 40001:2025 (E) Healthcare Education draft standard. Our submission, informed by the expertise of SAC members, ensures that the voices of communication health professionals are represented in the development of national accreditation criteria.

A central theme of SAC’s feedback was the importance of evolving the standard’s definition of communication. While the draft correctly emphasizes “People-Powered Health,” our submission highlighted that true communication access is only achieved when patients and their health care providers can participate in effective two-way interaction, rather than just being recipients of information. Without this interaction, opportunities for learning and safe inclusive care can be missed.

In our formal response, SAC proposed several critical enhancements to the draft standard:

• Reinforcing Equity: We commended the inclusion of social identities but recommended that ability and language be more explicitly prioritized as foundational pillars of equitable service design.
• Accessibility in Simulation: We advocated for clinical simulations to incorporate specific interprofessional strategies to engage clients with communication disabilities. We also emphasized that emergency drills must include visual and tactile alerts (such as flashing signage) to be inclusive of those with hearing or vision loss.
• Modality and Learner Rights: SAC requested that the standard guarantee students the right to be informed of risks in their preferred modality or language and that Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) explicitly include environmental supports like hearing loop systems and captioning.
• Core Competencies: We proposed that “communication access supports” and “communication partner strategies” be recognized as core clinical competencies alongside trauma-informed care and cultural safety.

Our submission was supported by a robust reference list of communication access research and consultations with subject-matter experts. We reminded the HSO that communication barriers are a primary driver of preventable adverse events in healthcare. By embedding these requirements into healthcare education, we can ensure that future providers are equipped to provide safer, more inclusive care.

SAC remains committed to monitoring the progress of CAN/HSO 40001:2025 as it moves toward final publication. As the Human Health Resource crisis continues across Canada, it is imperative that innovative approaches to healthcare delivery be advocated to address caseload demands in clinical settings by systemically improving healthcare standards. By integrating the expertise of SAC members into national healthcare standards, we strive to reduce barriers to care. SAC will continue to update members on how these standards will impact our professions and the patients we serve.