TWO hospitals in Shenzhen were among the first group of hospitals that have been certified under the 2021 version of the International Hospital Quality Accreditation Standards.

The Shenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University and The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, along with the Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, received their certifications during a ceremony held in Qianhai on Wednesday.

Compiled by the Shenzhen Hospital Accreditation Research Center, a nonprofit third-party evaluation and research center, the standards received high scores in authoritative certification from the International Society for Quality in Health Care External Evaluation Association (ISQua EEA) in February 2022 and became the first internationally certified hospital accreditation standards in China.

Xu Xiaoping, president of the Shenzhen Hospital Accreditation Research Center, noted that the international hospital accreditation standards represent an upgrade to China’s top-rated hospital standards and are aligned with international standards.

The center has established an expert group of 111 senior experts from domestic and overseas hospitals for reviewer training and development. Of those experts, 71 are from the mainland and 40 are from Hong Kong and Macao, according to Xu.

After the publication of the standards, they quickly received warm responses from hospitals across the country, according to the Shenzhen Municipal Public Hygiene and Health Commission.

Last March, 13 hospitals became the first to apply for the certifications, including five from Shenzhen, four from Hong Kong, two from Guangzhou, and one each from Beijing and Zhuhai.

During the evaluation process, reviewers evaluate each standard and provide results based on the hospital’s performance. The certification conclusion can be divided into three types: certified, conditionally certified (delayed decision), and not certified. The certification is valid for four years.

For the three certified hospitals, future business exchanges with overseas medical institutions will be more convenient. The most immediate benefit is recognition from international commercial insurers. So far, the standards have been supported by four commercial insurers, including Prudential Investment, Loan, and Insurance Company, AIA, MSH China, and AXA Group. (Zhang Yu)