New Delhi, Feb. 11 -- Patients may soon be able to make informed decisions about where to seek treatment based on a new grading system for accredited private hospitals in India, which is also expected to boost medical tourism and facilitate health insurance pricing.

The Quality Council of India (QCI) plans to grade private hospitals on key patient-centric performance indicators and quality medical service parameters for the first time, top officials said. The hospitals will be graded A+++, A++ or A+.

The QCI and the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) are preparing a report on the grading exercise and plan to release it next month, said Dr. Alexander Thomas, chairperson of the QCI's technical committ...