Nuclear Medicine & PET Frequently Asked Questions
- What does the Nuclear Medicine/PET Accreditation Program Offer?
- What is the cost of Nuclear Medicine/PET Accreditation?
- Is there an on-site survey performed?
- Does the facility need to purchase a phantom?
- Is direct supervision by a qualified medical physicist required for the performance of the acceptance test and annual tests?
- Can mobile Nuclear Medicine/PET practices apply for accreditation?
- Must all Nuclear Medicine Technologists be formally trained or is on-the-job training acceptable?
- What options does a site have if they fail the initial test cycle?
- How much time do I have to return the testing package?
- Do sites have to submit images within a certain time frame?
- Can abnormal studies be submitted?
- Do all units in the facility need to be evaluated?
- What if a unit does not pass the evaluation?
- How does a facility add a new unit or module?
- Will nuclear medicine/PET accreditation become mandatory?
- My facility did not pass accreditation. May we appeal the decision? If so, what's involved?
- We recently appealed an adverse accreditation decision. When should we receive the results of the appeal?
- We did not pass accreditation because our technologists selected and submitted the wrong images. May we appeal the decision and submit new cases?
- We did not pass accreditation because our technologist did not submit all required images and provided insufficient information with the images that were submitted. May we appeal the decision and submit the rest of the required information?
1. What does the Nuclear Medicine/PET Accreditation Program Offer?
The program is designed to offer Nuclear Medicine physicians an opportunity for comprehensive review and evaluation of their Nuclear Medicine/PET facility, personnel qualifications, image quality, equipment, quality control procedures and quality assurance programs through a peer review mechanism.
2. What is the cost of Nuclear Medicine/PET Accreditation?
There is a fee of $1,200 per facility, plus a per unit fee based on the number of modules/sub modules per unit: one module/sub module - $600, two modules/sub modules - $1,200, three Modules/sub modules - $1,800.
3. Is there an on-site survey performed?
In order to verify that facilities maintain quality during the three-year accreditation period, random validation through on-site surveys and random film checks may also be performed at any time during the accreditation period.
4. Does the facility need to purchase a phantom?
Some manufacturers provide a phantom with the purchase of nuclear medicine cameras. You may consider contacting your unit vendor to see if they will provide the ACR-approved phantom.
The PET phantom uses the base of the Jaszczak Deluxe Flangeless ECT phantom (with the spheres removed) and a PET faceplate. The following are available directly from Data Spectrum of Chapel Hill, NC:
- The Jaszczak Deluxe Flangeless ECT phantom and the PET faceplate (can be used for both SPECT and PET acquisitions) for $2,536.
- Deluxe Flangless ECT phantom (Nuclear Medicine only) for $1,521.
- Flangeless PET phantom (PET only) for $2,028.
- The PET faceplate made to fit an existing flangeless or flanged Jaszczak Deluxe ECT phantom for $1,017.
The above are available following the submission of the entry application to the ACR. You may contact Data Spectrum directly at (919) 732-6800.
5. Is direct supervision by a qualified medical physicist required for the performance of the acceptance test and annual tests?
No, a qualified medical physicist may perform the tests, however, the acceptance test and annual test may be performed by a qualified nuclear medicine technologist or medical physicist-in training using specific testing protocols developed and approved by the qualified medical physicist. The test results must be reviewed by the qualified medical physicist and documented in the annual survey report.
6. Can mobile Nuclear Medicine/PET practices apply for accreditation?
If a mobile unit is owned and operated by a single entity, they must have their own supervising and interpreting physicians in order to be accredited as one facility. If a mobile unit is owned by a single entity and services multiple sites with different supervising and interpreting physicians, the unit must be accredited as separate facilities.
7. Must all Nuclear Medicine Technologists be formally trained or is on-the-job training acceptable?
Nuclear Medicine technologists must have current registration by ARRT(N), NMTCB, or the equivalent state license or must have successfully completed a training program in nuclear medicine, with documentation.
8. What options does a site have if they fail the initial test cycle?
Facilities that do not meet the initial evaluation criteria will only be required to re-submit the procedure that was deficient. Facilities that re-apply after deficiency are required to submit their request for re-application, along with the fee of $600 per module/sub module within 15 days of their report.
9. How much time do I have to return the testing package?
You must submit your testing materials within 45 days of receipt of the testing materials.
10. Do sites have to submit images within a certain time frame?
Sites are given 45 days to complete the testing portion of the accreditation process. There are specific instructions in the testing package that designate that all phantom and clinical images must be from the same 60 day period and within 30 days before or after phantom images. (Failure to comply with this time frame will result in your application being made inactive.)
11. Can abnormal studies be submitted?
Submission of normal studies is desired for the Nuclear Medicine modules; however, abnormal studies may be submitted if no high quality normal studies are available. The PET module requires that at least one abnormal study be submitted per sub module.
12. Do all units in the facility need to be evaluated?
Yes, in order to be accredited, a facility must have all units evaluated and approved. Clinical and phantom images must be submitted for each unit.
13. What if a unit does not pass the evaluation?
Individual units that fail to meet the accreditation evaluation should not be used at an accredited site.
14. How does a facility add a new unit or module?
If you have more than 13 months left on your ACR certificate, you will need to complete a New Unit/Module Addendum. If you have 13 months or less left on your ACR certificate, you will need to start the renewal process early. Please contact the ACR at 1-800-770-0145 for further information.
15. Will nuclear medicine/PET accreditation become mandatory?
The ACR Nuclear Medicine Accreditation Program is a voluntary process. However, several third-party payers have recognized ACR Accreditation Programs as a method of demonstrating quality and require ACR accreditation for their providers of certain services.
16. My facility did not pass accreditation. May we appeal the decision? If so, what's involved?
A. Yes. Facilities that receive a deficiency or a failure may appeal the determination in writing within 15 days of the date of the final report. You must send the original images for all of the submitted cases in the category that did not pass along with a letter describing your reason for appealing. Only those images reviewed for the original determination (and having the original labels) will be considered during the appeal evaluation. These will be forwarded to an arbitrator (a reviewer who did not participate in the initial review) with a copy of the previous reviews and the appeal letter written by the facility. No other images will be sent to the reviewer for consideration in the evaluation. The arbitrator's determination will be final.
17. We recently appealed an adverse accreditation decision. When should we receive the results of the appeal?
A. You should receive the appeal results within 30 to 45 days of the date all required appeal materials were received by the ACR.
18. We did not pass accreditation because our technologists selected and submitted the wrong images. May we appeal the decision and submit new cases?
A. Although you may appeal the decision, you may not submit new cases. During accreditation review, the ACR reviewers assume that the submitted cases were reviewed by the modality's supervising physician (as specified in the Testing Instructions) and are examples of your best work. Consequently, during an appeal, you may only submit the original images with the original ACR labels.
19. We did not pass accreditation because our technologist did not submit all required images and provided insufficient information with the images that were submitted. May we appeal the decision and submit the rest of the required information?
A. You may appeal the decision; however, you may only submit the original images with the original ACR labels. Please call the Diagnostic Modality Accreditation Information Line at (800) 770-0145 for further guidance on your specific situation.