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The choice of an appropriate medical provider can be daunting and many factors will influence your ultimate decision. Quality of care is paramount and it pays to do some research about your potential providers. One clue about their institutional commitment to quality is their membership in accrediting agencies, as well as the particular qualifications of the physician providing your care. At the accreditation level, two organizations in particular, the Joint Commission International (JCI) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), are evidence of quality management and services by medical institutions across the globe.

In addition to the international standards of JCI and ISO accreditation, many medical providers are accredited by regional and/or country-specific agencies. These local-level agencies can also serve as important indicators of quality, even as one should recognize that standards of accountability and monitoring do vary across countries and regions.

JCI Accreditation arguably represents the "gold standard" for international credentialing. In the United States, the Joint Commission?s standards have been highly influential in defining and establishing what constitutes quality and reputability for medical organizations, and their seal of accreditation is seen as a defining indicator of a well run hospital.

Recently, JCI extended their accreditation process to overseas biomedical institutions. On their website, they write: "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. Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation can help international health care organizations, public health agencies, health ministries and others to evaluate, improve and demonstrate the quality of patient care in their nations."

The International Organization for Standardization is an international agency with close to one hundred member countries. The ISO 9001:2000 series is a management tool that provides a comprehensive operational framework to achieve control and consistency in all aspects of business, from technical to administrative. ISO 9001:2000 offers a model for a documented quality system, a foundation for information accuracy, and a building block for continuous improvement. Accredited registration provides evidence of good management practices within the organization, demonstrating quality practices that are markers of institutional consistency and efficiency. Through its internal auditing requirements, ISO 9001:2000 can facilitate an organization's ongoing compliance to accreditation standards and regulatory requirements.

Quality in healthcare is more important today than ever before. Today's health care consumers are better informed and participate in the care they receive. This has increased the awareness that the quality of service delivered is dependent not only on the hands-on practitioners, but also on every individual within the organization whose activities contribute in some way. The current trend toward public accountability continues to be one of the major factors driving the momentous changes in the health care industry.

Quality Council of India ? National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH)

National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) is a constituent board of Quality Council of India, set up to establish and operate accreditation programme for healthcare organizations. the board is structured to cater to much desired needs of the consumers and to set benchmarks for progress of health industry. The board while being supported by all stakeholders including industry, consumers, government, have full functional autonomy in its operation.

The National Board of Examinations was established in 1975 with the prime objective of improving the quality of the Medical Education by elevating the level and establishing standards of post graduate examinations in modern medicine on an all India basis. There are more than 149 recognized Medical Colleges in the country. In addition to Postgraduate teaching institutions under MCI, there are 450 accredited institutions imparting training in various Broad and Super specialities for the award of postgraduate qualification in Broad and super specialities. The Board at present conducts postgraduate and postdoctoral examinations in 54 disciplines approved by the Board for the award of Diplomate of National Board. The Medical Council of India has laid down standards for post graduate examinations conducted by various medical colleges and affiliated to concerned universities and other institutions, yet the levels of proficiency and standards of evaluation vary considerably in these institutions. The setting up of a National Body to conduct post graduate medical examination was intended to provide a common standard and mechanism of evaluation of minimum level of attainment of the objective for which post graduate courses were started in medical institutions. Moreover, intra country and international comparison is facilitated with the availability of commonly accepted evaluation mechanism.