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The IAC Standards and Guidelines
for MRI Accreditation

 

Click here for a printer-friendly PDF of the MRI Standards

Part A:
Organization

Section 1A: Personnel and Supervision

STANDARD – Medical Director

 

1.1A           The Medical Director must be a licensed physician and certified by an American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) recognized board in a relevant specialty or board certified in a relevant specialty recognized by the American Osteopathic Association, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or Le College des Medicins du Quebec.

 

1.1.1A            Medical Director Required Training and Experience

 

The Medical Director must demonstrate an appropriate level of training and experience by meeting one or more of the following:

 

1.1.1.1A             Established Practice – A physician who has worked in an MRI facility for at least five years, has acquired 150 hours of Category I CME relevant to MRI to include courses specifically designed to provide knowledge of the techniques, safety, limitations, accuracy and methods of interpretation and clinical applications specific to the anatomic area and has interpreted a minimum of 1,000 MRI examinations.

 

OR

 

1.1.1.2A             Formal Training Program – Completion of a residency or fellowship that includes appropriate didactic and clinical MRI facility experience as an integral part of the program and a minimum number of cases interpreted specific to the anatomic area as indicated:

 

i.               body – 300 cases

ii.              cardiovascular – 300 cases

iii.            musculoskeletal – 300 cases

iv.            neurological – 300 cases

v.             MRA – 150 cases

vi.            breast – 150 cases

 

Comment: The formal training experience is to be documented by a letter from the director of the training program verifying the areas of MRI expertise and the extent of the training experience.

 

OR

 

1.1.1.3A             Informal Training

 

i.               Didactic: Appropriate background for proper qualifications to interpret MRI facility studies can be achieved through accredited postgraduate continuing medical education (CME). A minimum of 150 hours of AMA Category I CME credits must be acquired within a three-year period. These hours must be met with courses specifically designed to provide knowledge of the techniques, safety, limitations, accuracy and methods of interpretation of MRI examinations and clinical applications specific to the anatomic area. Documentation of the CME courses, with a listing of the content, must be submitted.

ii.              Practical Experience: In addition to the formal didactic education outlined above, the individual must acquire a minimum of six months of supervised practical experience observing or participating in MRI procedures, preferably in an accredited facility. The practical experience must include all areas of MRI for which the facility is applying. This experience is to be documented with a letter from the Medical Director of the facility where the practical experience was obtained.

For those examinations the Medical Director will interpret, experience in interpreting the following minimum number of MRI or MRA studies, while under supervision, must be documented:

 

·         body – 300 cases

·         cardiovascular – 300 cases

·         musculoskeletal – 300 cases

·         neurological – 300 cases

·         MRA – 150 cases

·         breast – 150 cases

 

1.1.1.4A            Neuroimaging Subspecialty

 

i.                      Current Neuroimaging subspecialty certification by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties (UCNS).

 

OR

 

ii.                     Current certification in MRI by the American Society of Neuroimaging (ASN).  

 

1.1.2A            Medical Director Responsibilities

The Medical Director responsibilities include but are not limited to:

 

1.1.2.1A             all clinical MRI services provided and for the determination of the quality of imaging provided related to the MRI services;

 

1.1.2.2A             supervising the entire operation of the facility or delegating specific operations to facility staff members;

 

1.1.2.3A             selecting and approving medical staff members and supervising their work; and

 

1.1.2.4A             assuring compliance of the medical and technical staff to the Standards outlined within this document.

 

1.1.3A            Continuing Medical Education (CME) Requirements

 

1.1.3.1A             The Medical Director must show evidence of maintaining current knowledge by participation in CME courses that are relevant to MRI. A minimum of 15 hours of AMA Category I CME is required every three years. It is recommended that a minimum of 1 CME hour include MRI safety instruction.

Comment: To be relevant to MRI, the course content must address the principles, instrumentation, techniques and/or interpretation of MRI specific to the anatomic area.

1.1.3.2A             Yearly accumulated CME must be kept on file and available to IAC when requested.

 

Comment: If the Medical Director has completed formal training as specified under 1.1.1.2A in the last three years, the CME requirement will be considered fulfilled. Correlation conferences or other internal meetings are not to be counted as part of this requirement.

STANDARD – Technical Director

 

1.2A           A qualified Technical Director (i.e., supervisor, chief technologist, manager, etc.) is designated for the facility.

 

1.2.1A            Technical Director Required Training and Experience

 

The Technical Director must have appropriate training, technical certification and documented experience in the field of MRI. The Technical Director must meet one of the following criteria:

 

1.2.1.1A             American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) or the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists (CAMRT) certification in MRI (RT (MR)).

 

OR

 

1.2.1.2A             An appropriate credential from a nationally recognized credentialing organization in another medical imaging specialty (i.e., NMTCB, ARDMS, ARRT or ARMRIT).

AND

One year (12 months) of full-time (35 hours/week) equivalent experience as an MRI technologist performing a minimum of 100 examinations.

 

OR

 

1.2.1.3A             For personnel operating scanners capable of performing only peripheral joint imaging, all of the following criteria must be met:

 

i.               medical practitioner state license or state certification acceptable to IAC MRI (i.e., basic operator, LMRT, RE);

ii.              three months clinical experience performing examinations;

iii.            performance of at least 125 MRI examinations; and

iv.            certificate from MRI vendor manufacturer documenting a minimum of 56 hours of uninterrupted (but not necessarily contiguous) training. No more than 16 of the 56 hours may be acquired through self-study that includes successful completion of  structured education that is Recognized Continuing Education Evaluation Mechanism (RCEEM) approved. The vendor's training on the device must include:

·         MRI safety;

·         basic anatomy;

·         basic MRI physics;

·         slice orientation; and

·         sequence and protocol development.

 

 

 

 

1.2.2A            Technical Director Responsibilities

 

1.2.2.1A             The Technical Director reports directly to either the facility administrator or the Medical Director. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, and may be delegated to other staff:

 

i.               all facility duties delegated by the facility administrator and/or Medical Director;

ii.              supervision of the technical and ancillary staff;

Comment: The Technical Director must provide oversight of the technical staff.

iii.            the delegation, when warranted, of specific responsibilities to the technical staff and/or the ancillary staff;

iv.            daily technical operation of the MRI facility (i.e., staff scheduling, patient scheduling, record-keeping, etc.);

v.             operation and maintenance of MRI imaging equipment;

vi.            the compliance of the technical and ancillary staff to the Standards outlined within this document;

vii.          working with the Medical Director, medical staff and technical staff to ensure quality patient care; and

viii.         technical training.

 

1.2.3A            Continuing Education (CE) Requirements

 

1.2.3.1A             The Technical Director must document at least 15 hours of Category I AMA or RCEEM approved MRI-related CE over a period of three years. It is recommended that a minimum of 1 CE hour include MRI safety instruction.  

Comment: To be relevant to MRI, the course content must address the principles, instrumentation, techniques and/or interpretation of MRI specific to the anatomic area.

1.2.3.2A             Yearly accumulated CE must be kept on file and available to IAC when requested.

 

Comment: If the Technical Director has successfully acquired an appropriate MRI credential within the past three years, the CE requirement will be considered fulfilled.

STANDARD – Medical Staff

 

1.3A           All members of the medical staff must be licensed physicians and American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) board certified in a relevant specialty or board certified in a relevant specialty recognized by the American Osteopathic Association, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or Le College des Medicins du Quebec.

 

1.3.1A            Medical Staff Required Training and Experience

The medical staff must demonstrate an appropriate level of training and experience by meeting one or more of the following:

 

1.3.1.1A             Established Practice – A physician who has worked in a MRI facility for at least three years, has acquired 150 hours of Category I CME relevant to MRI to include courses specifically designed to provide knowledge of the techniques, safety, limitations, accuracy and methods of interpretation and clinical applications specific to the anatomic area and has interpreted a minimum of 500 MRI facility examinations.

 

OR

 

1.3.1.2A             Formal Training Program – Completion of a residency or fellowship that includes appropriate didactic and clinical MRI facility experience as an integral part of the program and interpreted a minimum of 150 cases specific to the anatomic area:

 

i.               body – 150 cases

ii.              cardiovascular – 150 cases

iii.            musculoskeletal – 150 cases

iv.            neurological – 150 cases

v.             breast – 150 cases

vi.            MRA – 150 cases

 

Comment: The formal training experience is to be documented by a letter from the director of the training program verifying the areas of MRI expertise and the extent of the training experience.

 

OR

 

1.3.1.3A             Informal Training

 

i.               Didactic – Appropriate background for proper qualifications to interpret MRI facility studies can be achieved through accredited postgraduate continuing medical education (CME). A minimum of 150 hours of AMA Category I CME credits must be acquired within a three-year period. These hours must be met with courses specifically designed to provide knowledge of the techniques, safety, limitations, accuracy and methods of interpretation of MRI examinations and clinical applications specific to the anatomic area. Documentation of the CME courses, with a listing of the content, must be submitted.

ii.              Practical Experience – In addition to the formal didactic education outlined above, the individual must acquire a minimum of six months of supervised practical experience observing or participating in MRI procedures, preferably in an accredited facility. The practical experience must include all areas of MRI for which the facility is applying. This experience is to be documented with a letter from the Medical Director of the facility where the practical experience was obtained.

For those examinations the medical staff member will interpret, experience in interpreting the following minimum number of MRI or MRA studies, while under supervision, must be documented:

·         body – 150 cases

·         cardiovascular – 150 cases

·         musculoskeletal – 150 cases

·         neurological – 150 cases

·         breast – 150 cases

·         MRA – 150 cases

 

1.3.1.4A            Neuroimaging Subspecialty

 

i.                      Current Neuroimaging subspecialty certification by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties (UCNS).

 

OR

 

ii.                     Current certification in MRI by the American Society of Neuroimaging (ASN).

 

Comment: ASN and UCNS certification is accepted for physicians who only interpret brain and spine examinations.  

 

1.3.2A            Medical Staff Responsibilities

Medical staff responsibilities include but are not limited to:

 

1.3.2.1A             the medical staff reports to the Medical Director; and

 

1.3.2.2A             the medical staff interprets and/or performs clinical MRI studies in accordance with privileges approved by the Medical Director.

 

1.3.3A            Continuing Medical Education (CME) Requirements

 

1.3.3.1A             The medical staff members must obtain a minimum of 15 hours of AMA Category I CME every three years. The medical staff must show evidence of maintaining current knowledge by participation in CME courses that are relevant to MRI. It is recommended that a minimum of 1 CME hour include MRI safety instruction.

Comment: To be relevant to MRI, the course content must address the principles, instrumentation, techniques and/or interpretation of MRI specific to the anatomic area.

1.3.3.2A             Yearly accumulated CME must be kept on file and available to IAC when requested.

 

Comment: If the medical staff member has completed formal training as specified under 1.3.1.2A in the past three years, the CME requirement will be considered fulfilled. Correlation conferences or other internal meetings are not to be counted as part of this requirement.

STANDARD – Technical Staff

 

1.4A           The technical staff must have appropriate training, technical certification and/or documented experience in the field of MRI.

 

1.4.1A            Technical Staff Required Training and Experience

All members of the technical staff must meet one or more of the following criteria:

 

1.4.1.1A             American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) or the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists (CAMRT) certification in MRI (RT (MR)).

 

OR

 

1.4.1.2A             Successful completion of a MRI training program, which includes verified didactic and supervised clinical experience in MRI. These programs must be accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) or accredited by the Canadian Medical Association Committee on Conjoint Accreditation (CMA-CCA).

 

OR

 

1.4.1.3A             Completion of six months full-time supervised (35 hours/week) postgraduate clinical MRI experience plus one of the following:

 

i.               an appropriate appropriate credential from a nationally recognized credentialing organization in another medical imaging specialty (i.e., NMTCB, ARDMS, ARRT or ARMRIT);

ii.              completion of a formal two-year program or equivalent in another medical imaging profession (see 1.4.1.2A); or

iii.            completion of a bachelor’s degree in another medical imaging specialty.

 

OR

 

1.4.1.4A             For personnel operating scanners capable of performing only peripheral joint imaging, all of the following criteria must be met: 

 

i.               medical practitioner state license or state or national certification acceptable to IAC MRI (i.e., CMA, basic operator, LMRT, RE);

ii.              certificate from MR vendor documenting a minimum of 56 hours of uninterrupted (but not necessarily contiguous) training;

Comment: No more than 16 of the 56 hours may be acquired through self-study that includes successful completion of structured education that is RCEEM approved. The vendor's training on the device should include:

·         MRI safety;

·         basic anatomy;

·         basic MRI physics;

·         slice orientation; and

·         sequence and protocol development.

 

iii.            three months clinical experience performing examinations; and

iv.            performance of at least 125 MRI examinations.

 

OR

 

1.4.1.5A             For personnel operating a MRI scanner full time prior to and consistently since 2013, without meeting any of the above required training and experience criteria (1.4.1.1A, 1.4.1.2A, 1.4.1.3A, 1.4.1.4A), the following must be provided:

 

i.               a letter from the current Medical Director and Technical Director verifying the training, experience and competency full time prior to and consistently since 2013, specific to the testing area for which they are applying;

ii.              if less than five years at the current position, a letter from all previous Medical and Technical Directors full time prior to and consistently since 2013,  verifying training, experience and competency specific to the testing area for which they are applying.

 

1.4.2A            Technical Staff Responsibilities

Technical staff responsibilities include but are not limited to:

 

1.4.2.1A             reports to the Technical Director; and

 

1.4.2.2A             assumes the responsibilities specified by the Technical Director and, in general, is responsible for the performance of clinical examinations and other tasks assigned.

 

1.4.3A            Continuing Education (CE) Requirements

 

1.4.3.1A             The technical staff must document at least 15 hours of Category I AMA or RCEEM approved MRI-related continuing education over a period of three years. It is recommended that a minimum of one CE hour include MRI safety instruction.

Comment: To be relevant to MRI, the course content must address the principles, instrumentation, techniques and/or interpretation of MRI specific to the anatomic area.

 

1.4.3.2A             Yearly accumulated CE must be kept on file and available to IAC when requested.

 

Comment: If the technical staff member has successfully acquired an appropriate MRI credential within the past three years, the CE requirement will be considered fulfilled.

STANDARD – Support Services

 

1.5A           Ancillary personnel (i.e., clerical, nursing, transport, etc.), if necessary for safe and efficient patient care, must be provided.

 

1.5.1A            Clerical and administrative support is sufficient to ensure efficient operation and record keeping.

 

1.5.2A            Supervision: The Medical Director must ensure that support services are appropriate and in the best interest of patient care.

 STANDARD – Support Services


1.6A           The medical physicist must be certified by the American Board of Radiology in Diagnostic Medical (or Diagnostic Radiologic) Physics, by the American Board of Medical Physics in Diagnostic Medical Physics or MRI Physics, or by the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine in MRI Physics. In states where medical physicists are licensed, a full license to practice Diagnostic or MRI Medical Physics is acceptable.

1.6.1A          Other personnel, deemed by the medical physicist as competent to perform the assigned tasks, are permitted to assist the medical physicist in data collection. The medical physicist must approve all work performed by assistants and must sign the final report.


1.6.2A           The medical physicist must document at least 15 hours of Category I AMA Continuing Medical Education (CME) or Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physicists Educational Programs (CAMPEP) continuing education related to medical physics and/or medical imaging over a period of three years.

            
1.6.2.1A           A minimum of three hours of the documented 15 hours of CE must be related to MRI safety.


               1.6.2.2A           Yearly accumulated CE must be kept on file and available to IAC MRI, when requested.