With the globalization of healthcare, international accreditations and certifications are getting more and more important. We will take a look at why these are necessary.
When crossing borders to obtain healthcare many patients are enticed by the cheaper price and the higher personal comfort of the provider facilities. However, to find information about patient safety regulations and the quality of the provider, consumers are compelled to do their own research. To one’s help, there are several Healthcare organizations that guide, inspect, and educate healthcare providers to obtain and maintain high standards of patient care and safety. One of the best symbols for this international accreditation can be described as a voluntary process that provides a universal standard of credibility for the healthcare provider.
What is international healthcare accreditation
Accreditation is a process of both internal and external evaluation used by healthcare organizations to accurately assess their level of performance in relation to established standards. It is very important to remember that medical standards vary around the world, and the practice of international accreditation is fairly new.
As more and more patients travel abroad for healthcare, the competition amongst healthcare providers is getting more and more fierce. Many leading medical facilities continuously improve their standards of high-tech equipment, patient care, services, and safety. Recognition from internationally recognized healthcare evaluators is an important factor in differentiating oneself from competitors.
Looking for the providers’ international accreditation should be an important factor in the patient’s decision-making. However, there is currently not one single international accreditation scheme that is seen as an overall worldwide-relevant scheme.There is also currently no single organization responsible for accrediting the providers and ensuring that their operating standards are wholly safe and ethical. However, with this in mind, there are several organizations that perform international accreditation with valuable appraisal and information:
Performing International healthcare accreditation
- Joint Commission International (JCI) is based in the US.
- Australian Council for Healthcare Standards International (ACHSI) is based in Australia.
- The QHA Trent is based in the UK.
- HealthCare Tourism International (HCT) is based in the US.
- Accreditation Canada is based in Canada.
- The United Kingdom Accreditation Forum is based in the U.K.
- Temos is based in Germany.
ISO Certification is not a healthcare accreditation scheme
Several medical facilities around the world also hold an ISO certification, which stands for International Organization for Standardization. ISO has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and is a non-governmental organization that sets international industrial and commercial standards. However, ISO is not considered to be an international healthcare accreditation scheme. Most hospitals in Thailand currently strive for international accreditations before their national counterparts. In the Novasans directory, we clearly state the accreditations that the different organizations and healthcare providers hold, in order to make the choice easier for you!