Checklist
To verify JCI accreditation, check the hospital’s name and location against the accredited organisation search on Joint Commission International’s own website, jointcommissioninternational.org. Confirm which programme the hospital holds, because hospital accreditation is different from a laboratory accreditation or a single clinical programme certification. If anything is unclear, contact JCI directly.
Joint Commission International (JCI) extends the mission of The Joint Commission to international audiences. It reports more than 1,000 accredited and certified organisations. Accredited organisations may display the JCI Gold Seal of Approval. A seal on a website or brochure is a claim, not proof. This guide helps you confirm the claim with JCI and understand what it covers.
What should you ask the hospital?
- Which JCI programme do you hold: hospital accreditation, academic medical centre, laboratory or another?
- Does the accreditation cover the specific branch where I will be treated?
- Is the claim about accreditation or about a Clinical Care Program Certification for one service?
- When was the most recent JCI survey?
- Can you send a copy of the current certificate?
How do you check with JCI?
- Go to jointcommissioninternational.org and use its search for accredited organisations.
- Look for the hospital’s exact name and city in the results.
- Compare the name, city and programme with what the hospital told you.
- Save a dated screenshot of the result.
- If you cannot find the hospital, email JCI at JCIinfo@jcrinc.com with the hospital’s name and address.
How do you read what you find?
- Check that the listed organisation is the same legal entity and location, not a sister hospital.
- Check whether the listing is for the whole hospital or a single programme.
- Note that JCI surveys can be onsite, remote or hybrid.
- Remember that accreditation applies to the organisation, not to an individual doctor.
- Check the treating doctor separately on the Indian Medical Register.
What are the warning signs?
- The JCI seal appears, but the hospital will not say which programme it holds.
- The listing on JCI’s website shows a different city or a different hospital in the same group.
- The hospital refers to ‘JCI standards’ rather than JCI accreditation.
- A facilitator claims JCI status for a hospital that does not appear in JCI’s own information.
- Certificates or documents that cannot be matched to JCI’s records.
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What is the difference between accreditation and certification?
JCI explains that Clinical Care Program Certification recognises a specific disease, condition or clinical service and is distinct from accreditation. A hospital can hold one, both or neither. If a hospital tells you it is JCI ‘certified’ for one service, ask whether the whole hospital is accredited as well.
Many good hospitals are not JCI accredited
Some Indian hospitals hold NABH accreditation instead of, or as well as, JCI. Neither label tells you which hospital suits your case. Your treating specialist decides whether treatment is suitable.
Questions people ask
Is JCI accreditation required for international patients?
No law requires it. JCI is a voluntary international accreditation. Many patients also look at NABH, India’s national accreditation for hospitals. Check whichever accreditation a hospital claims with the body that issued it, and consider it alongside the specialist and the proposed plan.
What types of organisations does JCI accredit?
JCI lists programmes for hospitals, academic medical centres, laboratories, ambulatory care, primary care centres, long-term care, home care and medical transport organisations. Confirm which programme a hospital holds before you rely on the claim.
Sources
- Joint Commission International – Accreditation
- The Joint Commission – Facts about Joint Commission International
General information, not medical or legal advice. Rules change: confirm with the official source. How we write and check.