Revisions Effective Immediately
As an accreditation organization, IAC MRI is committed to maintaining a program that balances the changing needs of both the MRI community and the general public by influencing the quality of patient care provided. The IAC Standards and Guidelines for MRI Accreditation are the most important component of that commitment. Composed by physicians, physicists and technologists from the IAC sponsoring organizations, the Standards are reviewed periodically by the Board of Directors and revised as needed.
As a component of the accreditation process, the IAC MRI Board of Directors preliminarily approved the proposed Standards which were recently posted to the IAC MRI website for a 60-day public comment period.
Standards that are highlighted are content changes that were made as part of the November 20, 2024 revision. These Standards become effective immediately.
Statement Regarding Revisions to the Standards
The majority of the revisions surround the addition of Standards for portable and remote MRI technology:
- REMOTE SCANNING: This is in response to address issues pertaining to staffing shortages of MRI and CT technologists. Guidelines are being developed to assist IAC-accredited facilities who find the need to engage a third party for remote scanning. The use of remote scanning has the potential to be used in scanning complicated cases (for which the on-site staff is unfamiliar), rural areas, limited staffing situations, etc.
- PORTABLE MRI SCANNING: With the innovation of smaller, portable MRI scanners, the need for development of standards is becoming apparent. These new scanners have the ability to perform brain scans at the bedside of critically ill patients. While the current application of this technology is limited to hospitals, the potential exists for placing these units in outpatient facilities.
- REVISION TO THE EXISTING CONTRAST ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION POLICY: Given the current environment of physician supervision difficulties, revisions to the contrast policy are being developed to provide a safe environment for patients having injections with the presence of appropriately trained non-physician personnel.
Key Revisions to the Standards
Modifications are shown in the current Standards in highlighting and include:
- Technical Director Required Training and Experience (Applicable Standards 1.2.1A, 1.2.1.4A)
- Technical Staff Required Training and Experience (Applicable Standards 1.4A, 1.4.1.5A)
- New! Remote Scanning (Applicable Standard 2.4A)
- Patient and Facility Safety (Applicable Standards 4.1A, 4.1.5A, 4.1.5.1A-4.1.5.5A)
- Environmental Safety Policy (Applicable Standards 4.1.2A, 4.1.2.4A, 4.1.2.9A, 4.1.2.10A, 4.1.2.11A)
- Contrast Administration and Supervision Policy (Applicable Standards 4.1.4A, 4.1.4.1A, 4.1.4.2A)
- Acute Medical Emergency Policy (Applicable Standard 4.1.6A)
- Instrumentation (Applicable Standards 1.1B, 1.1.1B)
Questions regarding the Standards may be directed to the IAC MRI Team at mri@intersocietal.org.