By Matt Tomory
The American College of Radiology (ACR) has instituted several changes this year that affect how we as service providers ensure the Quality Control (QC) component of an accreditation application meets their new requirements. We have previously addressed ACR compliance in this column but the old standards are no longer sufficient. There are additions to the QC checks as well as an Annual Survey that must now be completed when an application or renewal is submitted.
ACR mandates that the QC/Annual Survey portion of the accreditation application be performed by a Medical Physicist or designee which is the service provider in the vast majority of cases. We, as service providers, are certifying that the system has had a thorough preventative maintenance and certain tests/verifications have been performed.
The new Annual System Performance Evaluation Report – Ultrasound/Breast Ultrasound Equipment Evaluation Summary contains a summary sheet and worksheet which must be completed. The first section is where the site, system and testing transducer information is entered. In several of the following sections, a tissue mimicking phantom is needed although ACR states a phantom is optional (we recommend the ATS phantoms). These sections are similar to previous ACR verifications and begin with Penetration where you verify how deep your designated probe will penetrate. Next, Image Uniformity is tested for dropouts, channel issues and focal zone anomalies.
Now comes one of the new additions to the ACR requirements which is Geometric Accuracy. This test is performed by measuring between test targets with the system’s calipers and are checked in the vertical (axial) and horizontal (lateral) planes.
Also new are the Scanner Electronic Image Display Performance and Primary Interpretation Display Performance tests. ACR is asking that you verify the “gray scale response and luminance calibration (brightness and contrast), presence of pixel defects, and overall image quality.” This means the primary display of the ultrasound system must be validated as well as the display used to interpret the exams only if it is on-site.
These new requirements mean a little more time during a PM and also require us to move our verification outside the ultrasound room and into the physician’s reading room if within the same facility. For more information, please visit the ARC Ultrasound site at: http://www.acr.org/Quality-Safety/Accreditation/Ultrasound. You may also email me at: mtomory@conquestimaging.com for additional information.
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