This morning, just out of curiosity I Google-searched the words “medical tourism world class”. The results numbered 37,100,000. Just because you say you are “world class”, doesn’t make it true. The term “World class” should be reserved for the best of the best.
Where’s the Proof?
World Class in medical tourism is so overused that it is headed for the pile of phrases that don’t mean anything anymore.
In colloquial speech, we expect the term “world class” to be the absolute best possible quality available on the planet. Those of us who live day in and day out with business process terms use it to indicate the best possible process or practice that yields a product that is effective, efficient, and continues to evolve and improve.
To me, the term has qualifying requirements. If they are missing, I show no mercy for the hyperbole. These qualifying requirements include, but are not limited to:
Patient satisfaction: customer satisfaction expectations are met and exceeded, to a level of patient delight; no customer complaints documented in the past 6 months
Benchmarking: the organization consistently exceeds its competitors in clinical outcomes and other measures; it is ongoing
Process: Processes are essentially error-free for all end-customer and in-process control points using internationally-accepted,evidence-based care guidelines
Documentation: is consistently and meticulously complete, secure, on-time, and maintained in the lengua franca and in English — the language of international business
Unbiased and Credible: A competent independent survey firm (not someone selling wallpaper) confirms the processes are “world class”. If the surveyor doesn’t know the process, it cannot be deemed competent. To confirm a process is the best, it needs to be benchmarked against the same process in other organisations. Nor is this shorthand for “JCI Accreditation”, because not every organization measures according to JCI, Joint Commission in the USA, DNV, COHSASA, ICONTEC, or any of the other ISQUA-accredited healthcare organization surveying bodies.
Continuous Quality Improvement: Plans are in executed to always self-assess and improve wherever possible. Action plans are executed if a complaint is received.
Why I take such issue with all this
Perhaps, the reason for my disdain and disapproval for the overuse of this term in medical tourism and health travel is because much of my professional work as a consultant is and has been focused on business process improvement (BPI). Buusiness Process Improvement activities recognize the following levels:
Level 6: A process of unknown status
Level 5: A process is understood and operates as documented (this is where most JCI and other accreditation surveys end)
Level 4: A process is effective, systematically measured, streamlining has been initiated, and customer expectations are met (if not all three, it is declared level 5)
Level 3: A process is streamlined and is more efficient
Level 2: A process is highly effective (essentially error-free) and efficient
Level 1: A process is world class and continues to improve.
Hundreds of processes are in play at different levels in healthcare organizations. The ones that claim priority are the ones that add value to the patient or buyer. There are other processes that support the operations of the business, but the customer isn’t particularly concerned with them, regardless of how vital they are to the function of the business. Many hospitals are so vast and complex that the exact process is essentially invisible. Being truly world class comes from awareness and visibility of the current situation.
