Medical Tourism - Joint Commission

What is the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations

Our Mission

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.

Who We Are

The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization, established more than 50 years ago. Joint Commission is governed by a board that includes physicians, nurses, and consumers. Joint Commission sets the standards by which health care quality is measured in America and around the world.

What We Do

Joint Commission evaluates the quality and safety of care for more than 15,000 health care organizations. To maintain and earn accreditation, organizations must have an extensive on-site review by a team of Joint Commission health care professionals, at least once every three years. The purpose of the review is to evaluate the organization's performance in areas that affect your care. Accreditation may then be awarded based on how well the organizations met Joint Commission standards.

A list of Joint Commission accredited organizations and their survey results are posted in the Quality Check section of the Joint Commission website. You can also call Joint Commission's Customer Service Department directly at (630) 792-5800 for additional information.

Joint Commission International (JCI)
Joint Commission International (JCI) is a division of Joint Commission Resources (JCR), the subsidiary of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). For more than 75 years, JCAHO and its predecessor organization have been dedicated to improving the quality and safety of health care services. Today the largest accreditor of health care organizations in the United States, JCAHO surveys nearly 20,000 health care programs through a voluntary accreditation process. JCAHO and its subsidiary are both not-for-profit corporations.

Accreditation Overview
What is accreditation and what are the benefits?

Accreditation is a process in which an entity, separate and distinct from the health care organization, usually non-governmental, assess the health care organization to determine if it meets a set of standards requirements designed to improve quality of care. Accreditation is usually voluntary. Accreditation standards are usually regarded as optimal and achievable. Accreditation provides a visible commitment by an organization to improve the quality of patient care, to ensure a safe environment and to continually work to reduce risks to patients and staff. Accreditation has gained worldwide attention as an effective quality evaluation and management tool.

What is JCI Accreditation?

In response to growing interest in accreditation and quality improvement worldwide, the Joint Commission launched its international accreditation program in 1999. Joint Commission International accreditation standards are based on international consensus standards and set uniform, achievable expectations for structures, processes and outcomes for hospitals. The accreditation process is designed to accommodate specific legal, religious and cultural factors within a country. JCI plays a huge role in the medical tourism industry by preparing medical institutions for the medical travel phenomenon.

Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation can help international health tourism organizations, public health agencies, health ministries and others to evaluate, improve and demonstrate the quality of patient care in their nations.

Accreditation Programs
JCI provides four accreditation programs:

International Standards for Hospitals
JCI’s standards for hospitals have proven their value in public and private organizations of all sizes in Europe, South America, Asia and the Middle East.

International Clinical Lab Standards
Complete, accurate, standards-based assessment of laboratory processes and management practices is enabling clinical laboratories around the globe to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness of laboratory procedures.

International Standards for the Care Continuum
Designed for application in both social service models and medical models of care, these standards support a variety of non-acute settings and the care and services they provide.

International Standards for Medical Transport Organizations
International standards for medical transport organizations are built around a solid framework of quality and safety designed to foster process improvements and support the development of effective leadership within these organizations.

For more in-depth information about JCAHO, please visit:

http://www.jointcommission.org/