With the EU directive on patient mobility coming into effect in 2014, another Eastern European country is now preparing to accommodate international patients. Slovenian health authorities are encouraging hospitals to achieve hospital accreditation according to international recognized standards. Along with Det Norske Veritas (DNV), the Slovenian healthcare authorities are seeking to improve quality of care and patient safety.
Hospital accreditation in Slovenia
So far, DNV has awarded certificates to two Slovenian hospitals; the University Rehabilitation Institute SOCA in Ljubljana and the University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases in Golnik. As these are the two first hospitals in Europe to receive DNV’s international healthcare accreditation, this marks an important milestone for the movement towards Slovenian medical tourism.
Medical Tourism – a future in Slovenia
The Slovenian minister of health, Dr. Dorjan Marusic, commented, “In the future we can expect an increasing number of patients seeking healthcare services in neighboring countries and other EU member states. This means that we will have to ensure that a high level of safety and quality healthcare is provided to patients. With this in mind, accreditation, in the anticipated dynamic European framework, will both serve as model for keeping domestic patients in Slovenian hospitals and attracting foreign patients.” The Slovenian president, Danilo Turk, also stated that, “One of the government’s goals is to strive for improvement in terms of access to quality healthcare with systematic regulation of health treatment quality and safety on the basis of internationally recognized quality management systems. The certificates awarded to the hospitals represent an important start of a long-term effort to enhance the standard of healthcare and patient safety.”
The DNV International Hospital Accreditation
DNV Healthcare carries out annual assessments of the medical organization, management and environmental safety aspects. DNV also helps health organizations in their efforts to reach maximum effectiveness and efficiency in its processes. Over 200 hospitals in the US have already switched to DNV Accreditation.
Slovenia is tapping into medical tourism