Cost of Accreditation
Since there can be misconceptions of the actual costs of accreditation, we have developed a list of frequently asked questions to help in your decision to apply for accreditation.
Approximately what is the cost of a JCI accreditation survey for a hospital?
The average fee for a hospital full survey in 2010 was $46,000.00 USD.
How is the cost determined?
The cost is determined by the size and complexity of the hospital. This determines the number of surveyors and the number of days needed to survey the standards. This can vary from 2 surveyors for 2 days in a very small specialty hospital to 5 surveyors for 6 days in a large multispecialty university hospital. The details found in an organization’s application for accreditation drive the formula to determine survey team size and survey length and this determines the cost.
Are there other costs related to a survey?
Yes – the cost for transportation of the team and hotel, food and local transportation costs on-site are not included. These are not included in the survey cost as they are extremely variable and subject to currency fluctuations. The JCI travel policy places caps and limits on such costs. In addition, hospitals often recommend reasonably priced hotels, and provide ground transportation for the survey team.
Does the cost of an accreditation survey include any education and consultation as the hospital prepares?
No – while JCI does offer accreditation preparation services through a separate division, many organizations choose to prepare on their own or with assistance from other sources. Also, JCI keeps consultation and accreditation services totally separate to ensure the integrity of the evaluation process.
Many organizations, for their own costing purposes, will however group together consultation costs with any capital expenditures they may wish to make into the cost for accreditation. Thus, it is important to separate out the fixed cost of the actual accreditation survey from the variable costs related to preparation that are totally optional and at the discretion of each organization.
What is JCI doing to keep cost and value of accreditation in line?
JCI has improved the value of accreditation by introducing new standards for 2008 that set new international expectations for quality and patient safety, and by introducing a new survey process – the Tracer Methodology – developed by The Joint Commission. This new methodology increases interaction and learning during the survey and adds lasting value by demonstrating to organizations an ongoing self-assessment methodology.
JCI has reduced total cost of an accreditation survey by training surveyors in many parts of the world. Regionally based surveyors greatly reduce travel costs. In addition, they are frequently familiar with the culture and language of the countries in which they survey.
Can we obtain an estimate of the cost of a survey for our organization?
Yes – Contact jciaccreditation@jcrinc.com.