“International Quality Standard for Medical Tourism, Medical Wellness and Health Facilities”
German Medical Wellness Association establishes new international quality standard
“International Quality Standard for Medical Tourism, Medical Wellness and Health Facilities”
Greater security, transparency and trust in international health and medical tourism
The German Medical Wellness Association ( www.dmwv.de ) is setting a new milestone in the international health market: With the “International Quality Standard for Medical Tourism, Medical Wellness and Health Facilities”, the association is introducing a comprehensively revised, internationally compatible quality standard.
The standard is available immediately and can be used worldwide by health tourism organizations.
It can be used by facilitators, medical facilities, medical wellness establishments, and providers in health and medical tourism.
“With the new quality standard, we are creating a reliable basis that will enable companies and providers to sustainably position themselves in the international market for medical tourism, medical wellness and health,” said Lutz Lungwitz, Chairman of the German Medical Wellness Association.
Goal: Security, comparability, and transparency
The new quality standard addresses one of the key success factors of international medical tourism and the internationalization of health, its applications and facilities: trust ! It creates clear, verifiable criteria and ensures transparency and comparability – for patients and guests as well as for clinics, health facilities, wellness providers and facilitators.
Furthermore, the standard provides a solid basis for:
- structured patient and guest acquisition programs,
- Training and qualification measures, including in cooperation with health insurance companies,
- Targeted sales and marketing support for certified institutions.
- And also for presentation in investments in these areas.
Well-founded development based on interdisciplinary expertise
The quality standard was developed by an interdisciplinary panel of experts and is based on many years of practical experience – especially from collaboration with internationally operating certification companies and globally active experts .
Those involved included:
- experienced auditors and examiners authorized to conduct third-party audits,
- University professors and lecturers in tourism and health management,
- Developers of management systems according to international ISO standards
- Doctors, nursing staff
- Hotel directors and operators of medical and health-oriented facilities.
- Hospitality experts
The result is a practical, internationally applicable standard that takes into account medical quality, service and process quality, patient safety, transparency, and management and organizational structures equally.
Certification with a clear duration and regular audits
Certification is valid for three years and involves regular review and audit procedures . This ensures continuous quality improvement and sustainable compliance with the defined standards.
Costs and participation conditions
The certification costs are certainly manageable for the partners. The added value justifies the expenditure. The specific amount depends on the type, size, and structure of the respective institution.
Added value for certified institutions
Certified companies benefit from, among other things:
- clearly structured and verifiable internal processes,
- a strong positioning as a quality-tested institution in the market,
- improved conditions for subsidy and reimbursement options for patients and guests,
- a stronger focus on process quality and treatment success.
- DMWV certificate and seal also for all stakeholders of the institution
- Increased sales through confidence-building measures and communication of the DMVW certificate
Additionally: Structured guest and patient acquisition programs by the DMWV
Based on the new quality standard, the DMWV, together with its experts, is initiating structured guest and patient acquisition programs. The goal is to enable certified facilities to achieve a sustainable improvement in occupancy rates and professional market access.
Auditor and expert training worldwide from 2026
To support the international implementation of the standard, the DMWV will offer worldwide auditor and expert training courses starting in 2026.
Working as an auditor or as a “DMWV Medical Consultant” also offers qualified professionals the opportunity to establish an additional professional pillar.
Interested in certification or training?
Interested institutions, organizations, and professionals can now find out more and register:
- via the contact form on the website of the German Medical Wellness Association
- or by email to: lutz.lungwitz@dmwv.de
We look forward to working together.