The Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) announces that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved the latest revision to the IAC Standards & Guidelines for MRI Accreditation, paving the way for their recent release on November 20, 2024.
The updated IAC Standards & Guidelines for MRI Accreditation provide guidance and safeguards to help facilities make certain that policies and procedures are in place to ensure safe MRI examinations, whether the scans are being performed at local sites or remotely. To achieve accreditation, facilities employing remote scanning must institute and adhere to policies addressing contingency processes for equipment and/or communication failure, internet instability and power outages. Division of responsibilities and compliance with applicable standards already in place for local MRI operations, inclusive of technical director and staff required training and experience, must also be followed for remote scans.
“The approval of the revised Standards could not have come at a more pivotal or timely moment for the MRI community. Not only do they include provisions which reaffirm our ongoing commitment to quality improvement and ensuring that patients receive the highest quality exam, but we have also included a new section outlining standards for those who utilize remote scanning technologies and technologists. These new standards are the first to require that a registered technologist always remain with the patient, ensuring that qualified personnel will be there to provide care should the need arise. I couldn’t be prouder of what we have accomplished as an organization with this document,” said Amanda Garlock, DHA, RT(R)(MR), CRA, President, IAC MRI and Diagnostic Imaging Manager, Providence Regional Medical Center Everett.
Publication of the final Standards comes after a 60-day public comment period and integration of feedback, as approved by the IAC MRI Board of Directors. Applicant facilities are required to be in compliance with the new Standards, effective immediately.
Providing tools to help facilities improve patient safety and outcomes is centric to the IAC accreditation process. Through the IAC Quality Improvement (QI) Self-Assessment Tool and the peer review of case studies (with pathology), participating facilities receive meaningful and quantitative reports that target opportunities for continuous improvement.