Canadian Cardiovascular Society Access to Care Workshop proceedings and next steps.

On October 24, 2008, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) Standing Committee on Access to Care invited clinical practitioners, researchers and administrators from across Canada to provide input on the CCS action plan for 2009/2010. The meeting provided an opportunity for stakeholders to identify initiatives under three CCS priority areas for action: collecting and reporting wait time data, improving systems to improve access, and establishing national networks. Building on the suggestions from this meeting, the Standing Committee drafted an action plan for 2009/2010. This plan includes a lead role for the CCS in facilitating consensus on pan-Canadian data standards and definitions, and using current resources and infrastructure. The CCS and its Standing Committee look forward to continuing to work with stakeholders to promote awareness and adoption of the benchmarks, and to undertake new initiatives that will provide insight into access to care issues along the continuum of care.