International Medical Standards

About JCI and JCAHO Certification

What is JCI or JCAHO Certification?J oint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) is an American-based commission whose mission is to "...improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations."

The standards used to rate foreign hospitals are ``as rigorous as those employed in the US, “according to Char Hill, a spokeswoman for the group.

What is the Joint Commission?

The mission of Joint Commission International is to continuously improve the safety and quality of care in the international community through the provision of education and consultation services and international accreditation.

Joint Commission International (JCI) is a division of Joint Commission Resources (JCR), the not-for-profit affiliate of the Joint Commission.  Today the largest accredit or of health care organizations in the United States, the Joint Commission surveys nearly 20,000 health care programs through a voluntary accreditation process.  The Joint Commission and its affiliate are both not-for-profit corporations.  JCI standards and survey process were adapted for the international community and designed to be culturally applicable and in compliance with laws and regulations in countries outside the United States.  There are approximately 140 JCI-accredited hospitals in 26 countries.

Do hospitals need to have JCAHO or JC accreditation for me to be sure I’m getting high quality health car? 

Not necessarily.  The accreditation process typical takes from 12-36i months. Nearly all of the major international hospitals that serve the medical tourism community are quite new and therefore have not had time to complete the accreditation process. . Medical travelers ruling out such hospitals for lack of accreditation would be doing themselves a great disservice, losing out on access to state-of-the art health care facilities containing some of the most modern technology and equipment available. . 

It is important to keep in mind that JC accreditation is about processes and facilities – it is not a guarantee of quality of health care and does not imply an endorsement or recommendation of a particular surgeon.  A hospital with JC accreditation has met JC requirements on 300 standards, or measures. 

Finally, as is the case in the U.S., all countries have their national organizations for defining and enforcing quality standards for health care facilities. A facilities status with these organizations can be researched/requested for patient review.