Accreditations

In considering medical travel, the quality of medical care becomes the most important aspect of consideration. One can look for a medical centre that is internationally accredited to ensure one’s safety. Organizations like the Joint Commission International and Trent Accreditation Scheme (TAS) have been fulfilling accreditation roles in the US and UK respectively. Hospitals which have received these accreditations can be taken to be reliable providers of medical facilities. Their mission is to evaluate the quality of health services, through surveying and accreditation in their home country and rest of the world as well. These accreditations, along with regional accreditations signal quality service from your health service provider.

Joint Commission International (JCI)

Joint Commission International is a non-profit organization that fulfills the accreditation role in the US. It is the most well known and respectable accreditations to be acquired by any medical organization. Its mission is “To continuously 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." In this direction, the Commission surveys the hospitals in the country and the rest of the world and suggests any necessary improvement.

Trent Accreditation Scheme (TAS)

Trent Accreditation Scheme operates as a non-profit organization in the United Kingdom Like other major international healthcare accreditation groups, TAS also aims at ensuring quality medical service in hospitals across the world and in carrying out this, it takes to survey and suggests necessary improvement in healthcare facilities. Unlike KCI, this organization holds that no country can deduce a standard to evaluate all medical centers across the world. It also takes into consideration medical ethical standards specific to that region in assessing the quality of health care.

Regional accreditation organizations:

India:

National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH)

The National Accreditation Board is a constituent board of Quality constituent of India which was set up with the intension of providing accreditations to healthcare organizations across the country. The hospitals are required to obtain a copy of the NABH standards and submit the application form along with the payment of a fee that is quoted by the organization. This is followed by a survey from the NABH team who check the quality standards of services across hospitals and the accreditation entails constant monitoring of patient care services. Accreditation provides access to reliable and certified information on facilities, infrastructure and level of care. The accreditation thus ensures quality of medical service for anyone considering treatment in these hospitals.

Malaysia

The Malaysian Society for Quality in Health (MSQH)

The Malaysian Society for Quality in Health is a voluntary non-profit organization which fulfills accreditations for health care centers in Malaysia. MSHQ sets its own standards for accreditation which is based on organization and management of the hospital, management of human resource in within the organization, the hospital’s policies and procedure, facilities and equipments in the hospital and quality improvement measures taken up by the company. The organization makes continuous quality checks with regard to medical care in order to ensure safety of patients who seek medical services in these accredited hospitals.

Thailand

Thailand has Institute of Hospital Quality Improvement & Accreditation

Thailand has Institute of Hospital Quality Improvement & Accreditation as its accreditation providing organization to ensure quality standards among Thailand’s medical institutions.

Singapore

Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC)

Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC) was formed in 1996 and it represents Singapore’s regional accreditation organization. SAC's primary function is to accredit conformity assessment services such as testing, calibration, inspection and certification.

Health Sciences Authority (HSA)

Health Sciences Authority is a multidisciplinary agency in health sciences sector which was formed as a statutory board of the Ministry of Health on 1st April, 2001. It has since then been working towards protection and advancement of national health and safety.

Accreditations to health service centers serve as a benchmark in assuring the quality of service, and as such helps patients embrace medical tourism without any doubts about the quality of service in hospitals outside their homelands.