ACR accreditation ensures that:
1. The physician interpreting scans has met stringent education and training standards
2. The technologists operating the equipment are certified by the appropriate body
3. The imaging equipment is surveyed regularly by a medical physicist to make sure that it is functioning properly and is taking optimal images without excess radiation.
The ACR advises that no imaging exam should be performed unless there is a clear medical benefit. The ACR supports the use of the optimal level of radiation needed in imaging exams to achieve necessary results.
The government can help ensure appropriate imaging and lower the radiation dose that Americans receive from scans each year by:
1. Requiring accreditation of all imaging facilities (including hospitals) — ACR accreditation signifies that the equipment is surveyed regularly by a medical physicist, the technologists are appropriately certified and the interpreting physicians have met stringent education and training standards. This avoids repeat imaging due to poor quality scans and the associated radiation exposure. Patients can find accredited facilities at ACR.org.
2. Encouraging/Incentivizing use of ACR Appropriateness Criteria®-based decision support/exam order entry systems — These systems educate providers on which exam is best for a patient’s condition (or when no scan is warranted). This process ensures that patients get the right scan for the right reason at the right time, reduces inappropriate imaging, helps avoid unnecessary exposure to radiation, and is proven to improve quality and lower cost by ensuring appropriate imaging and that providers obtain needed information from the correct scan.
3. Encouraging/Incentivizing participation in the ACR Dose Index Registry® — Facilities contribute anonymized, HIPPA-compliant dose information on every scan and periodically compare their dose indices to national benchmarks. This ongoing and regular feedback allows facilities opportunities to adjust dose accordingly and gauge how their radiation reduction efforts are working over-time.
1. The physician interpreting scans has met stringent education and training standards
2. The technologists operating the equipment are certified by the appropriate body
3. The imaging equipment is surveyed regularly by a medical physicist to make sure that it is functioning properly and is taking optimal images without excess radiation.
The ACR advises that no imaging exam should be performed unless there is a clear medical benefit. The ACR supports the use of the optimal level of radiation needed in imaging exams to achieve necessary results.
The government can help ensure appropriate imaging and lower the radiation dose that Americans receive from scans each year by:
1. Requiring accreditation of all imaging facilities (including hospitals) — ACR accreditation signifies that the equipment is surveyed regularly by a medical physicist, the technologists are appropriately certified and the interpreting physicians have met stringent education and training standards. This avoids repeat imaging due to poor quality scans and the associated radiation exposure. Patients can find accredited facilities at ACR.org.
2. Encouraging/Incentivizing use of ACR Appropriateness Criteria®-based decision support/exam order entry systems — These systems educate providers on which exam is best for a patient’s condition (or when no scan is warranted). This process ensures that patients get the right scan for the right reason at the right time, reduces inappropriate imaging, helps avoid unnecessary exposure to radiation, and is proven to improve quality and lower cost by ensuring appropriate imaging and that providers obtain needed information from the correct scan.
3. Encouraging/Incentivizing participation in the ACR Dose Index Registry® — Facilities contribute anonymized, HIPPA-compliant dose information on every scan and periodically compare their dose indices to national benchmarks. This ongoing and regular feedback allows facilities opportunities to adjust dose accordingly and gauge how their radiation reduction efforts are working over-time.
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