ISO 22525-2020 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 22525:2020 — Tourism and related services — Medical tourism — Service requirements. This International Standard specifies requirements and recommendations for organisations and service providers involved in medical tourism (including facilitators and healthcare providers) to ensure safe, transparent and quality-oriented services for travellers whose primary motivation is receiving medical treatment.

Abstract

This document establishes requirements and recommendations for facilitators and healthcare providers in the field of medical tourism to meet travellers’ expectations and improve quality, safety and coordination of services. It includes provisions on information to patients, coordination of care, consent and legal/regulatory responsibilities, while explicitly excluding thalassotherapy centres, medical spas and wellness spas.

General information

• Status: Published (International Standard).
• Publication date: December 2020 (Edition 1; documented publication activity December 2020 / 15 Dec 2020 in some catalogues).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: Services and tourism — commonly cited ICS fields include 03.080.30 and 03.200.01.
• Edition / version: Edition 1, 2020 (ISO 22525:2020).
• Number of pages: 19 pages.

Key bibliographic facts above are taken from the ISO bibliographic entry and national catalogue summaries.

Scope

ISO 22525:2020 applies to organisations and service providers involved in the organisation, facilitation and delivery of medical tourism services. The standard is intended to help ensure that travellers receive accurate information, appropriate clinical and logistical coordination, safe and ethical care, transparent pricing and mechanisms for complaints and continuity of care. It does not apply to thalassotherapy centres, medical spas or wellness spas.

Key topics and requirements

• Definitions and roles for facilitators, healthcare providers and other stakeholders in medical tourism.
• Requirements for provision of clear, accurate pre‑travel information (treatment options, risks, expected outcomes, costs, travel and accommodation logistics).
• Processes for informed consent, patient identification and documentation.
• Coordination and continuity of care before, during and after treatment (communication between facilitator, provider and local healthcare where relevant).
• Quality and safety expectations for clinical services and non‑clinical support (infection control, equipment, emergency arrangements).
• Requirements for transparent pricing, contractual arrangements and consumer protection information.
• Complaint handling, incident reporting and corrective action mechanisms.
• Considerations for legal, regulatory and ethical compliance in the destination jurisdiction.
• Recommendations on cultural competency, language support and patient information privacy/confidentiality.
• Exclusions and boundary conditions (e.g., not for spas/thalasotherapy as noted in scope).

These topic groupings reflect the standard’s structure and principal obligations for service providers and facilitators.

Typical use and users

Primary users: medical tourism facilitators, hospitals and clinics serving international patients, destination tourism authorities, health insurers and insurers’ partners, accreditation and certification bodies, and policymakers. Secondary users include patient‑advocacy organisations, travel agents focused on medical travel and consultants supporting cross‑border healthcare programmes. The standard is used to develop service agreements, patient information materials, care-coordination processes and internal quality procedures.

Related standards

ISO 22525:2020 is developed under the ISO/TC 228 (Tourism and related services) work programme and is complementary to general management and healthcare standards such as ISO 9001 (quality management systems), healthcare/medical laboratory standards (e.g., ISO 15189 where applicable to diagnostic services), and national accreditation schemes for health services. Organisations implementing ISO 22525 commonly align its requirements with relevant clinical, legal and QMS standards in their operating jurisdictions.

Keywords

medical tourism; facilitators; international patients; service requirements; quality of care; continuity of care; informed consent; patient information; complaints handling; tourism services; ISO 22525:2020.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 22525:2020 is an International Standard that defines service requirements and recommendations for organisations involved in medical tourism, with the aim of improving transparency, safety and coordination of care for travellers seeking medical treatment abroad.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers roles and responsibilities of facilitators and healthcare providers, information to be given to patients, informed consent, continuity of care, pricing transparency, complaint handling and related quality‑and‑safety aspects. It explicitly excludes thalassotherapy centres, medical spas and wellness spas.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Medical tourism facilitators, hospitals/clinics treating international patients, tourism and health authorities, accreditation bodies and insurers use this standard to design processes, patient information and contracts that align with internationally recognised service requirements.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO 22525:2020 was published in December 2020 (Edition 1) and is the current edition as published by ISO. The ISO entry indicates routine review activity for standards; users should check ISO or their national body for any confirmation of revision or confirmation status.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is produced under ISO/TC 228 (Tourism and related services) and sits alongside other tourism‑related standards; it is not a multi‑part technical series but may be implemented together with general management and healthcare standards (e.g., ISO 9001, relevant clinical accreditation standards) to create a comprehensive compliance and quality framework.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Medical tourism, facilitators, international patients, service requirements, quality, safety, continuity of care, informed consent, transparency, complaints handling.