Korea Institute for Healthcare Accreditation

What Korea Institute for Healthcare Accreditation does

Korea Institute for Healthcare Accreditation (KOIHA, 의료기관평가인증원) is a South Korean quasi-governmental organization established in October 2010 under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and Welfare to operate the national healthcare institution accreditation system. KOIHA is the sole designated body authorized to certify hospital-grade medical institutions under the Medical Service Act, and since January 2020 has additionally served as the Central Patient Safety Center designated under the Patient Safety Act, functioning as the national control tower for patient safety reporting and learning. Its certification programs span general and small/medium hospitals, psychiatric institutions, and foreign-patient medical institutions, with evaluation frameworks covering over 500 criteria across patient care, pharmaceuticals, infection control, and environmental management.

The organization's technology infrastructure centers on the Healthcare Institution Evaluation and Certification System (ae.koiha.or.kr), a web portal managing the full certification lifecycle from application through survey scheduling, evaluation, and post-certification management, plus the KOPS (Korea Patient Safety Reporting and Learning System) platform for national safety incident reporting. KOIHA also operates two e-campus education platforms and an interactive public map for accredited-institution lookup. Internationally, KOIHA's standards and surveyor training programme are ISQuaEEA-accredited through 2027, and KOIHA holds ISQua institutional membership for 2026-2027.

KOIHA generates revenue through a mix of certification evaluation fees, mid-term survey fees, paid consulting services for certification preparation, and education program fees, supplemented by free consulting programs for qualifying small and medium-sized hospitals. Customer-facing operations are delivered directly through the Seoul headquarters and five regional patient safety centers embedded at partner institutions (Samsung Seoul Hospital, Kangwon National University Hospital, Korean Medical Association, Korean Pharmaceutical Association, Korean Nurses Association). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and KOIHA is not venture-backed; ownership and governance are public and institutional in nature, with a Director-appointed leadership structure that has rotated through six presidents since founding.

Name

Korea Institute for Healthcare Accreditation

Legal name

Korea Institute for Healthcare Accreditation

Website

https://koiha.or.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Korea Institute for Healthcare Accreditation (KOIHA) is a South Korean quasi-governmental body designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to accredit healthcare institutions and operate the national patient safety reporting system. It serves Korean hospitals, psychiatric institutions, and foreign-patient facilities with certification, consulting, and training services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Accreditation Services

NAICS

Public Administration (92)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLACAMAH

Quality Management & Regulatory Compliance (CLIA/CAP/ISO) for Labs

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Digital Health & Health IT/Laboratory Information Systems (LIS/LIMS) & Pathology Informatics

Keywords

• Healthcare accreditation services
• Medical institution certification
• Patient safety management
• Healthcare quality evaluation
• Clinical education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Yongdungpo

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Healthcare Institution Certification Fees: KOIHA charges fees for conducting certification evaluations and surveys of healthcare institutions. Institutions submit applications and undergo on-site evaluations. The certification process generates revenue through application fees and evaluation service fees. KOIHA also conducts mid-term follow-up surveys for certified institutions.
2. Healthcare Institution Consulting Services: KOIHA provides consulting services to healthcare institutions to support their preparation for certification. Consulting services include procedure guidance, standards review, and preparation support. KOIHA also runs free consulting programs for small and medium-sized hospitals for basic certification.
3. Healthcare Institution Education Programs: KOIHA operates education programs for healthcare institution staff, including online and offline training courses. Programs cover certification preparation and professional competency development. The organization maintains an e-campus platform for online education.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Korea Institute for Healthcare Accreditation (KOIHA) is the sole government-designated organization responsible for evaluating and certifying healthcare institutions in South Korea. It administers medical institution accreditation, psychiatric medical institution evaluation, and foreign patient medical institution accreditation based on over 500 evaluation criteria covering patient care, pharmaceuticals, infection control, and environmental management. KOIHA also provides consulting, education programs, and operates the national patient safety reporting and learning system (KOPS) as the Central Patient Safety Center under the Patient Safety Act.

Product overview

Korea Institute for Healthcare Accreditation (KOIHA) operates a portfolio of healthcare quality assessment and certification services. The core offerings include Medical Institution Accreditation (의료기관 인증), Psychiatric Medical Institution Evaluation (정신의료기관평가), and Foreign Patient Medical Institution Evaluation (외국인환자 유치의료기관 평가인증). These are delivered through the Medical Institution Evaluation & Certification System (의료기관평가인증시스템) online platform, supported by consulting and education services to help institutions prepare for certification. The organization also manages KOPS, a patient safety reporting and learning system. The Basic Accreditation System (기본 인증제) is a new initiative launching in 2026 to lower certification barriers for smaller hospitals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medical Institution Accreditation (의료기관 인증) Hospital and medical institution accreditation service based on the Medical Act, providing certification that evaluates quality standards, patient safety, and healthcare service quality across over 500 evaluation criteria.
• Psychiatric Medical Institution Evaluation (정신의료기관평가) Evaluation service for psychiatric medical institutions focusing on service quality improvement and patient human rights protection.
• Foreign Patient Medical Institution Accreditation (외국인환자 유치의료기관 평가인증) Accreditation program for medical institutions seeking to attract international patients, evaluating readiness for medical tourism and quality assurance for foreign patients.
• Basic Accreditation System (기본 인증제) New basic accreditation system launching in the second half of 2026 for small and medium hospitals, designed to lower barriers to certification and expand participation.
• Medical Institution Consulting (의료기관 컨설팅) Consulting services to help medical institutions prepare for and obtain accreditation, including procedures, types, consultants, and fee information. Free programs available for small and medium-sized hospitals for basic certification.
• Medical Institution Education (의료기관 교육) Training and education programs for medical institution staff to support accreditation preparation and competency enhancement, operated via dedicated e-campus platform.
• Medical Institution Evaluation & Certification System (의료기관평가인증시스템) Comprehensive web-based platform for managing the entire certification lifecycle including application, survey scheduling, evaluation results, and post-certification management. Includes separate portals for individual professionals and institutional members.
• KOPS Patient Safety Reporting and Learning System National patient safety reporting and learning system operated by KOIHA as the designated Central Patient Safety Center under the Patient Safety Act since January 2020.
• Accreditation Status Lookup (인증현황 조회) Interactive map-based system allowing the public to search and view accredited medical institutions by region (city/province and district) and hospital type.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 evaluation criteria used in healthcare institution certification surveys
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ISQua (International Society for Quality in Health Care)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKOIHA is an institutional member of ISQua and holds ISQuaEEA accreditation for its certification standards (2023-2027) and surveyor training program (2023-2027). This partnership provides international credibility and alignment with global healthcare quality standards.
• Regional Patient Safety CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKOIHA partners with five regional patient safety centers located at Samsung Seoul Hospital, Kangwon National University Hospital, Korean Medical Association, Korean Pharmaceutical Association, and Korean Nurses Association to implement the national patient safety program as the designated Central Patient Safety Center.
• Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부)coreOthersKOIHA operates under the oversight of the Ministry of Health and Welfare as the designated healthcare institution accreditation organization. The Ministry provides regulatory authority and governmental backing for KOIHA's certification activities.
• Korea Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (건강보험심사평가원)minorOthersBoth organizations are key stakeholders in the Korean healthcare quality ecosystem. KOIHA's certification status may be relevant to HIRA's healthcare evaluation and insurance review processes.
• Korean Hospital Associations (대한병원협회, 대한치과병원협회, 대한한방병원협회, 대한중소병원협회)minorOthersKOIHA collaborates with hospital associations in promoting healthcare institution certification and patient safety initiatives. Listed under related sites and collaborates on policy and certification matters.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• DNV Healthcare: DNV provides hospital accreditation services in the U.S. and internationally using ISO-based standards. It is a comparable accreditation body with similar surveyor training and certification processes, though broader in scope across multiple industries.

Others

• Korea Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA): HIRA is a peer government-affiliated healthcare quality reviewer in Korea that assesses claims and evaluates care quality. While not a direct accreditation competitor, it shares the Korean healthcare quality ecosystem with KOIHA and may reference KOIHA certification in its own work.

Regional players

• National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH): India's national healthcare accreditation body, operating under the Quality Council of India. A regional peer with similar government-designated monopoly over healthcare accreditation in its domestic market, comparable to KOIHA's Korean mandate.
• Council for Health Service Accreditation of Southern Africa (COHSASA): COHSASA provides healthcare facility accreditation across Africa, with ISQua accreditation. A regional peer comparable to KOIHA's standards-setting and surveyor training model.
• Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS): ACHS is Australia's national healthcare accreditation and standards body, evaluating hospitals and healthcare organizations. Functionally similar to KOIHA but operating in a different geography, primarily Australia.

Emerging players

• TEMOS International: TEMOS certifies hospitals and clinics for medical tourism and international patient care quality. Competes most directly with KOIHA's foreign patient accreditation (KAHF) program.

Direct peers

• CHKS (Healthcare Accreditation and Quality Assurance): CHKS is a UK-based healthcare accreditation and quality assurance program, providing hospital accreditation and standards. Operates as a smaller direct peer to KOIHA in the hospital accreditation space.
• Joint Commission International (JCI): JCI is the international arm of Joint Commission, accrediting hospitals outside the U.S., including medical tourism-focused institutions. KOIHA's foreign patient accreditation program directly competes with JCI in this domain.
• Joint Commission: The U.S. national healthcare accreditation body operating the most established hospital accreditation program globally. Directly comparable to KOIHA as it sets and evaluates healthcare quality standards and patient safety criteria for hospitals and healthcare organizations.
• Accreditation Canada: Accreditation Canada is Canada's national healthcare accreditation body, providing independent evaluation of healthcare organizations against quality and safety standards. Functionally analogous to KOIHA's mandate in Korea.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCW-TDqrAF84UINPBhw99CIw
• Facebookfacebook.com/koiha
• Instagraminstagram.com/koiha2010/?hl=ko

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Korea Institute for Healthcare Accreditation