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Welcome
to the Patient Information section of ICANLonline. The ICANL
provides the following information as a service to the general
public. This section is designed to help prospective patients
stay educated and informed about nuclear cardiology, general
nuclear medicine and PET imaging studies and the importance
of accredited laboratories.
What
is Nuclear Medicine?
Nuclear
medicine is a medical specialty that is used to diagnose
and treat diseases in a safe and painless way. Nuclear medicine
procedures permit the determination of medical information that
may otherwise be unavailable, require surgery, or necessitate
more expensive and invasive diagnostic tests. The procedures
often identify abnormalities very early in the progression of
disease -- long before some medical problems are apparent with
other diagnostic tests. This early detection allows a disease
to be treated sooner in its course when a more successful prognosis
may be possible.
The
information obtained through nuclear medicine examinations
is extremely helpful to physicians in diagnosing a variety of
conditions. It can be used to identify abnormal lesions, determine
whether or not certain organs are functioning normally, and
assess a patient's blood volume, lung function, vitamin absorption,
and bone density. In addition to identifying sites of seizures
(epilepsy), Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, nuclear
medicine can find cancers, determine whether they are responding
to treatment, and determine if infected bones will heal. Specifically,
nuclear cardiology studies use noninvasive techniques
to assess myocardial blood flow, evaluate the pumping function
of the heart, as well as visualize the size and location of
a heart attack. A specific type of nuclear medicine procedure
called a PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan is rapidly
becoming a highly reliable tool in determining the presence
and severity of cancers, neurological disorders and cardiovascular
disease. In addition to diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine
can be used as medicine therapy to treat diseases such as hyperthyroidism,
certain types of cancers (lymphomas) and to manage bone pain
as a result of cancer.
Early
detection of life-threatening heart disorders and other diseases
is possible through the use of nuclear medicine procedures performed
within hospitals, outpatient centers and physicians' offices.
Nuclear medicine's reliability in diagnosing vast types of diseases
and heart conditions is encouraging as we strive for ways to
reduce lives lost in the United States each year. However,
it is critical that the public realizes there are many facets
that contribute to an accurate diagnosis based on nuclear medicine.
These factors include the skill of the nuclear medicine technologist
performing the examination, the type of equipment used, the
background and knowledge of the interpreting physician and quality
assurance measures. In fact, poor nuclear medicine procedures
often lead to inconvenient, redundant studies, misdiagnosis
and even unnecessary tests or surgery.
ICANL Accreditation - A "Seal Of Approval" Patients
Can Count On.
Private offices, clinics, and departments within
hospitals that are accredited by the Intersocietal Commission
for the Accreditation of Nuclear Medicine Laboratories (ICANL)
voluntarily submit to a review of their daily operations. By
participating in the accreditation process, these medical facilities
demonstrate a commitment to the performance of quality general
nuclear medicine, nuclear cardiology and/or PET imaging procedures
and strive to meet nationally recognized standards. During the
accreditation process, applicant facilities must submit documentation
on every aspect of their daily operations. While completing
the application, laboratories are required to identify and correct
potential problems, revising protocols and validating quality
assurance programs. Applications submitted, including samples
of the nuclear medicine procedures performed, are reviewed by
experts throughout the United States and Canada. Each applicant
laboratory receives an onsite visit to their facility as part
of the application process. Accreditation is granted only to
those facilities that are found to be providing quality patient
care, in compliance with the ICANL Standards. Once granted,
ICANL accreditation is valid for a period of three years, after
which time the facility must undergo a repeat evaluation.
When
scheduled for a nuclear medicine procedure, patients should
inquire as to the accreditation status of the facility where
their examination will be performed.
Patients can rely on accreditation as an indication that
the facility where their examination will be performed has
proven a commitment to providing quality nuclear medicine
testing. Patients can rest assured that accredited facilities
have been carefully critiqued on all aspects of their operations
considered relevant by medical experts in the field of nuclear
medicine. Find an accredited
nuclear medicine laboratory in your area. |
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The
ICANL Certificate of Accreditation (sample shown here)
is an easy way for patients to identify an ICANL-accredited
facility. >> |
ICANL
Sponsoring Organizations
Academy
of Molecular Imaging
American College Of Cardiology
American College Of Nuclear Physicians
American Society Of Nuclear Cardiology
Society Of Nuclear Medicine
Society Of Nuclear Medicine Technologist Section
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ICANL
accreditation is widely respected within the medical
community, as illustrated by the support of the national
medical societies related to nuclear medicine (listed
at the left), which include physicians, nuclear medicine
technologists, and medical physicists. In addition,
several insurance companies require their providers
of nuclear medicine services to be accredited. However,
patients should remain vigilant in making sure that
their nuclear medicine procedures are performed within
accredited laboratories, because for many facilities/laboratories
it remains a voluntary process. |
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