ACATS Codes
Alberta Coding Access Targets for Surgery (ACATS)


Data is the bedrock of ACATS. High-quality data informs high-quality decisions from the surgeon’s office to zone leadership. We have developed a variety of resources to help you understand the data, from input to interpretation. You will find information and resources on Ready to Treat, ACATS code update process and how we maintain quality and transparency in our data.

ACATS Code Viewer App

ACATS codes are at your fingertips with smart-search capability. This application has been designed to help you and your office select the correct ACATS code and increase the accessibility, accuracy and timeliness of searching for the correct code.

The ACATS code app is compatible with mobile Android, iPhone (Apple), Internet Explorer 10 or greater, Firefox and Chrome.

ACATS Code Book

The ACATS code book is the foundation for data generation and analysis.

Disclaimer: The ACATs codes have been developed to help surgeons, booking office staff and operational leadership understand the prioritization of wait times for surgical patients based on disease progression, pain and functional impairment. Data collected using ACATS codes are used to measure, manage and report surgical wait times. These codes are not intended to be relied on as a standard of care or to inform the standard of care.

Information specific to ACATS and cancer surgery (updated April 1, 2019) and provincial cataract surgery, visit ACATS Codes & Cancer.

ACATS Code Booklets

ACATS Code Booklets:

ACATS Code Review Process

The code review cycle is to ensure that the code sets are accurate, up-to-date and evolve over time. Surgeons are encouraged to submit ACATS code suggestions every cycle which support:

  • Evidence-based and current surgical best practices, for treating the right patient at the right time
  • Provincial consensus between surgical services
  • Patient-centered care

If you have any questions or feedback, contact your ACATS Lead or visit the contact us page.

Ready to Treat

Ready to Treat is the start date for measuring wait times. It is the date the patient is medically, socially and functionally ready. Understanding this data element is important to ensuring a high-quality data system to measure, monitor and manage wait times in Alberta. We have developed a few resources to help you understand Ready to Treat and use it effectively.