Download PDF - Medical Tourism Magazine

JCI is Different from JC Accreditation in the US
JCI accreditation standards are comparable to Joint
Commission accreditation standards, but they are different. The
difference is that the 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. For example, informed consent by
patients is a JCI requirement, but different cultures handle this in
different ways. In some cultures, patients fill out a form in front of
a witness, while in others a family member may be the only one
allowed to give consent. JCI accreditation allows for these
differences.
JCI accreditation standards are
comparable to Joint Commission
accreditation standards, but they
are different.
JCI standards were developed by an International
Standards Subcommittee made up of experts representing five major
regions of the world. These standards address important topics such
as the qualifications of doctors and nurses, properly assessing
patients to match care to their identified medical needs, anesthesia
procedures, and safe use of medicines.
In addition to accreditation, JCI has extensive international
experience working with public and private health care
organizations and local governments in more than 60
countries. Part of meeting JCI’s mission is helping individual
countries develop their own accreditation programs. In many
countries, JCI works with the ministries of health to develop their
own standards and establish their own accrediting bodies. JCI’s
standards have also become a model for standards developed by
governments around the world.
Canadian Firms Pushing Cuban Healthcare
Two Canadian-based medical tourism companies are offering overseas
medical care to Cuba. That’s right, even though the US embargo makes it
illegal for Americans to spend money there for treatment, these firms believe
that the rising costs of healthcare may make some Americans take the
plunge. Cuba currently boasts patients from Spain and Italy and many
other countries and is known for high standards of care. While the issue of
high standards is often disputed, no one can dispute the cost savings,
with prices at about one third of the cost in the US for some procedures.
Nevertheless, with Latin and Central America rising in the industry of medical
tourism, and waiting times for some surgeries in Canada of up to 18 months,
there will likely be a great rise in the numbers of Canadian patients heading
to socialist Cuba.
We believe Americans can receive high quality care
internationally, but first, patients needing care abroad must carefully
research the physicians and health care organizations they are
considering using and visit our website to determine if the hospital is
accredited by JCI. Using a JCI-accredited hospital is basically a
risk-reduction activity because when hospitals improve patient care
and safety, patients are more likely to have good outcomes.
Americans using JCI-accredited hospitals will also find other
advantages. JCI accreditation requires that every patient is spoken
to in a language and manner they can understand and that patients
are involved in their care decisions. Patient rights must be protected,
including confidentiality and privacy. When a patient prepares to
leave the hospital and return home to his country, we
require that the hospital transfer information to the patient and
provide recommendations for follow-up care at home. All of these
steps make it less likely the medical traveler will have some type of
error or problem with his care.
How Accreditation Works
JCI accreditation is a rigorous process for which most hospitals
prepare at least a year, if not longer. JCI accreditation is for a period
of three years. After three years, JCI will conduct a full, onsite
survey. Before accrediting a hospital, JCI sends in a team, usually
including a doctor, nurse, and administrator, for a period of 3 to 5
days. Although at this time, the JCI surveys are announced visits,
JCI may move to unannounced visits in the future.
Our surveyors use a tracer methodology, which is a
systems approach, rather than just examining each
department within a hospital. We believe the best way to gauge the
quality of care provided by an institution is to trace the journey of
patients as they move through the institution and examine how
various departments work together to provide the care they need.
Typically we trace 8 or more patients during our site visits.
JCI has approximately 300 standards which hospitals must meet
and 1200 measurable elements which is what surveyors examine and
score. Before leaving, surveyors conduct an exit interview with
administrators, and hospital leadership is given a copy of the
preliminary report, which allows them to know whether or not they
will likely receive accreditation. All reports are confidential; all we
share with the public is a list of the hospitals currently accredited by
our organization.
There are approximately 140 JCI-accredited hospitals in 26
countries. For the names of these hospitals or more information on
JCI accreditation, you can visit our website at
www.jointcommissioninternational.com.
DECEMBER 2007 13