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IAC to Incorporate Measurement of |
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Last fall, the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) announced its intention to incorporate the measurement of appropriate use of diagnostic imaging studies into each of its accreditation programs (ICAVL, ICAEL, ICANL, ICAMRL and ICACTL) within 2010. The IAC supports the premise that a patient should have the right test at the right time, with the right radiation dose. As payers, lawmakers, physicians and patients are increasingly looking for ways to increase the value of health care, appropriate patient selection is critical to achieving this goal and to the delivery of quality patient care.
Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) are developed and published by several medical specialty societies including the American College of Cardiology Foundation and are widely available for the majority of diagnostic imaging modalities accredited by the IAC. Such criteria are written to define “when to do” and “how often to do” a given procedure in the context of scientific evidence, the health care environment, the patient’s profile and a physician’s judgment. The criteria are designed to examine the use of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to support efficient use of medical resources, while also providing patients with quality, appropriate care.
Through the incorporation of AUC, the IAC will require imaging facilities applying for accreditation to measure and evaluate the appropriate use of diagnostic testing in their practice as part of their ongoing quality assessment programs, to improve patient care. The IAC intends to provide and/or recommend tools for the measurement and reporting of AUC, in an effort to better educate providers and referring physicians.
As part of this global IAC initiative, the integration of requirements for AUC is at various stages among the individual accrediting divisions. The newly published 2010 ICANL Standards, incorporate AUC within the Quality Improvement Measures section, allowing applicant laboratories to use the measurement of appropriate use to fulfill the annual quality assurance requirement for both the administrative and physician performance measures. For more information on AUC read, ICANL Incorporates the Measurement of AUC Into the Accreditation Program. »
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