Safety and Quality

What should I pay attention to when choosing a provider?

As explained in detail previously, you should not only pay attention
to a provider's pricing, but also the range of services they have to offer as well as the impression they make on you.

Should I automatically assume that I will have to deal with lower
quality treatment abroad? No, there are excellent doctors abroad as well - but there are also "black sheep", so you should take considerable care when selecting a provider.

Which criteria should I keep in mind?

There are indeed a number of criteria that should play a role when deciding on a provider. In addition to the criteria already identified, we'd like to provide you with a little more detail in the form of further criteria that can help you in identifying a serious provider. Indentifying a serious provider represents one of the most serious
challenges you will face as a potential patient. Please note that we can only give you tips about potentially relevant criteria - we cannot make the decision for you. Moreover, even an excellent doctor cannot guarantee that treatment will be completely without risk.

1.) Is the doctor a member of a professional association?
Membership in a professional association may allow certain conclusions to be drawn regarding the experience of the provider, but not necessarily. An overview of several professional associations and their respective countries can be found in our country overview.

Most professional associations have a website (many of which have ample English-language material available) which should be able to clarify questions about admissions criteria or the associations's code of conduct. Associations generally encourage an exchange of experiences between their members. You should not hesitate to call a professional association with any questions you might have. In addition, you will find a membership list in most cases, allowing you to examine a doctor's membership status directly.

In addition to country-specific associations, there are also professional associations that operate internationally. Here is a selection:
International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery ISAPS
www.isaps.org
The International Confederation for Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic
Surgery IPRAS
www.ipras.org

The European Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
www.espras.org
The European Association of Plastic Surgeons EURAPS
www.euraps.org
World Dental Association FDI
www.fdiworldental.org
Medical Wellness Association MWA
www.medicalwellnessassociation.com

2.) What professional traning and experience does the doctor have?

Inquire about the number of cases treated by the doctor, i.e. the exact number of patients the doctor treats every year - preferably the number of patients treated specifically using the method you have decided on. Find out about the relevant experience the doctor has - does the doctor perhaps have professional experience at other clinics?

Pay attention to their vocational training. Does the doctor perhaps have a degree from a well-known university? Have a curriculum vitae of the doctor or of the clinic sent to you that substantiates this information. Confirm that you will be treated directly by the doctor with whom you are conducting preliminary discussions and not by assistant doctors. Also clarify who will undertake aftercare.

3.) Is the provider accredited?
There exist a large number of accreditations, each of which make different claims about the provider. Each of the accreditation bodies has a website that will allow you to further inform yourself about its accreditation criteria and authority. Accreditation is a length process that requires examination by independent institutions.
Here is a selection of the most current accreditations:

JCI - Joint Commisson International
An accreditation that is recognized above in the United States is the JCI. It requires, for the most part, an 18-24 month preparatory phrase for the hospital and has now been adopted in a number of hospitals around the world. A complete list of accredited hospitals as well as further information can be found on the website of the Joint Commission International. If you should have a complaint about the quality of a JCI-accredited provider, you can likewise address it on their website. Unfortunately, the website is only available in English.
In addition, JCI accreditations also exist for clinical laboratories, care facilities, and medical transportation services.

TAS - Trent Accreditation Scheme
TAS is domiciled in England and is mainly there as well as in Hong Kong a common accreditation. You will find a complete list of accredited hospitals on their website.

TÜV Süd
The TÜV certifications are mainly known to patients from German-speaking countries, but have now come into use internationally. The certifications may follow different standards, such as ISO 9001:2000, or standards in the field of environmental management. Therefore, it is important that you known the standard under which the provider is certified.

A list of providers can be viewed on our website. There you will find additional information. In addition to hospital and doctors' practices, other health organisations such as health resorts, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation clinics, and emergency medical services can also be certified by TÜV. The Lasik TÜV constitutes a distinctive certification for laser eye treatments. This is a TÜV certification specially developed for laser eye treatments; in addition to ISO 9001:2000 certification, requirements for TÜV certification include an audit which examines both a special hygiene checklist and a catalog of TÜV criteria.

The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS)
The ACHS is an independent not-for-profit company dedicated to improving the quality and safety of health care. The accreditation program focuses on health outcomes that require participation by health care organisations to commit to a membership that provides them with an annual external stimulus to continually improve care and service over a four year cycle. Further information can be found on their website www.achs.org.au

Further possible accreditations:
Canadian Council on Health Services Regulation CCHSA

4.) Which regulating authorities monitor the work of the provider?
Have the provider give you the names of the appropriate regulating authorities in each case. You may be able to obtain further information about periodic reviews and the publication of case statistics or other facts.

For an overview of essential questions that should be asked of any potential provider, please download our painstakingly compiled checklist free of charge.