ACR Strengthens International Teleradiology Statement to Protect Patient Safety


Contact: Shawn Farley
(703) 648-8936
E-mail: shawnf@acr.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American College of Radiology Statement on the Interpretation of Radiology Images Outside the United States holds that offshore physicians who interpret images by teleradiology should meet or exceed the same standards met by physicians practicing within the United States.

The statement, approved by the ACR Council today at the ACR 81st Annual Meeting and Chapter Leadership Conference, indicates that certification by the American Board of Radiology or the American Osteopathic Board of Radiology is the best means for the health care consumer to judge the qualifications of the radiologist.

To achieve these standards, physicians who interpret images by teleradiology shall:

  • Be licensed to practice medicine in the state where the imaging examination is originally obtained, as well as possess any medical or other licensure required within the jurisdiction of the interpretation site
  • Be credentialed as a provider and maintain appropriate privileges in the health facility or hospital in the United States where the examination was obtained
  • Have appropriate medical liability coverage for the state in which the examination was obtained
  • Be responsible for the quality of the images being interpreted

The ACR also states that physicians practicing outside the United States must submit to the jurisdiction of, and be completely accountable to, all applicable state and federal laws in the United States. Also, radiology groups, hospitals and other entities in the United States should enter into contracts for interpretation of imaging examinations provided from outside the United States with only those physicians who meet the foregoing criteria. Those criteria require that they possess the appropriate licensure, liability coverage, credentials and hospital medical staff or other health care facility privileges.

"Patients in the United States expect high-quality care and service from fully licensed, appropriately trained and credentialed, accountable medical practitioners. As physicians, we must insist that all physician services be held to the same high standards to ensure the absolute best for our patients," said ACR Task Force on International Radiology Chairman Arl Van Moore, M.D., FACR.

The ACR Council vote took place at the ACR 81st Annual Meeting and Chapter Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. The conference runs through Thursday, May 12, 2004, at the Hilton Washington.

Click here to view the ACR Statement on the Interpretation of Radiology Images Outside the United States.

To arrange an interview with Dr. Moore or another ACR officer or member, please contact ACR Public Relations Manager Shawn Farley at (703) 648-8936 or shawnf@acr.org.

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The ACR is a national professional organization serving more than 32,000 diagnostic radiologists, radiation oncologists, interventional radiologists, nuclear medicine physicians and medical physicists, with programs focusing on the practice of radiology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.