Por María Eliana Thomas P.
Periodista de Clínica Alemana

AmericaEconomia magazine conducted the first comprehensive quality study of Latin America's large hospitals to develop an information source and to rank the highly complex health centers. The criteria considered were the management, medical teams and service to patients.  One of the aims of the study was to provide information on the region's best clinics and hospitals for travelers from the U.S., Asia and Europe.

The magazine used data provided by the Health Departments of ten countries in the region on the 180 hospitals from around the region that were invited to participate. Of the group that accepted the invitation to participate, which meant providing details of its internal management procedures, the 20 with the best results were selected. They are led by Albert Einstein Hospital of Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Clínica Alemana of Santiago, Chile. The top 20 list includes university, private and public hospitals in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Dr. Claus Krebs, Medical Director of Clínica Alemana, explains that "having obtained second place in this first comparative study is a source of deep pride for our institution.  We are aware that it would not have been possible without the constant, dedicated, uncompromising and responsible work of the vast majority of Clínica Alemana's personnel as well as our professional staff".

"Nevertheless", he emphasizes, "one should not make the mistake of believing that this recognition carries with it lifetime tenure. Self-satisfaction only leads to mediocrity. Furthermore, we know that there are always going to be problems associated with any kind of ranking, and that the most valuable recognition we can get is the one which comes from our patients. We are working for them, and their safety is our first concern".

Of the top 20 institutions, eight including Clínica Alemana are accredited by the Joint Commission International. This year, Clínica Alemana received recognition by the Joint Commission for promoting continuous improvement in disease prevention and health care, through its insistence on institutional compliance and adherence to the highest standards.

The América Economía article includes an interview with Dr. Krebs in which he was asked, "What is the key for hospital excellence?". He responded, "The key is to keep the focus on our patients. We have to welcome them warmly and share all the possibilities about their illnesses so they can face their conditions. Further we need to make certain they fully understand their conditions; what we can do to help; how much time it will take; and, in the case of patients with no insurance, what the costs are.  We need this transparency so that we can obtain informed consent".

Which factors did the América Economía study consider?
In order determine the 20 best health centers in the area América Economía analyzed various factors including the following: