DICOE provides a comprehensive assessment of your facility, from structure and operations to technological skills and patient outcomes.

With DICOE, you attract and retain the best radiologists and technologists by ensuring you're operating at the highest professional level. At the same time, the assessment process is designed to build an actionable, practical framework for improving the quality of your imaging care through data collection, peer feedback and detailed on-site analysis by a team of imaging experts.

The DICOE team provides third-party analysis of your patient care, quality and radiation safety. Use the survey team’s recommendations to provide a true roadmap to help you reach and maintain operational excellence.

The eligibility requirements for DICOE are straightforward:

• ACR accreditation in all the modalities you provide for which ACR offers accreditation.
• Adherence to the Image Gently® pledge.
• Adherence to the Image Wisely® pledge.
• Participation in at least two National Radiology Data Registries.
• Completion of the on-site assessment.

If your practice operates in multiple states, you must prepare separate applications for each state.

The National Radiology Data Registry delivers a range of data to improve patient care using comparative performance and feedback on quality measures.

Participation in at least two of the registries is a requirement for DICOE Facilities. You’ll receive a 15% reduction on registry costs as a DICOE facility.

Your site must participate in one of the following:

• Dose Index Registry (DIR): For sites offering CT modality.
• General Radiology Improvement Database (GRID): For sites not offering CT modality.

In addition to DIR or GRID, choose from any of the other registries below to fulfill your participation requirement.

• CT Colonography Registry
• Lung Cancer Screening Registry
• National Mammography Database
• 3D Printing Registry

Three imaging experts — a radiologist, an ACR staff member and a medical physicist — conduct a detailed review of the facility, technologies used, all staff, procedures, policies and other building blocks of excellence. If your practice includes more than five sites in one state, the team will survey an additional site of their choosing.

For practices that provide fluoroscopy or diagnostic X-ray imaging, neither of which has its own ACR accreditation process, the team will review safety, protocols and documentation.

DICOE follows the three Center of Excellence driving principles: adoption, implementation and maintenance. Your DICOE team conducts an extensive on-site assessment to develop an actionable framework for positive change.

The DICOE team examines:

• Governance. The clear delineation of roles and responsibilities.
• Personnel. Certifications and licensing are up to date.
• Facility organization and management. Facility layout and process maintains privacy and safety of patients.
• Physical environment. You provide clean, professional and patient-centric care.
• Equipment and IT. Your facility maintains and tests all equipment in accordance with ACR accreditation mandates.
• Radiation and general safety. Every member of your staff understands and follows all safety procedures.
• Quality management. Your facility tracks and analyzes quality measures to improve imaging and maintain the best outcomes.
• Policies and procedures. Are policies and procedures clearly communicated and adhered to?
• Patient rights. Your facility clearly communicates patient rights in writing, signage, and interactions and maintains compliance in patient confidentiality.
• Medical records. Your facility effectively communicates imaging reports while maintaining privacy.

Read the comprehensive list of requirements.

Costs depend on the number of locations your practice operates in, with a single application covering up to five sites within a single state. New sites can be added up to the halfway point of the three-year DICOE cycle, and sites in multiple states require separate applications for each state. Travel and expenses for the DICOE survey teams are additional.

Fees vary based on the unique needs of the practice. Use our fee schedule and eligibility requirements to determine your costs.

Use these worksheets to gather the information you’ll need to complete the DICOE application. Make sure every participating facility completes a separate modality form.

• Facility information worksheet
• Modality information worksheet
• Payment information worksheet

Once approved, a DICOE designation period is for three years.

In addition to ongoing support from the core DICOE team and the value of the DICOE final assessment as a roadmap to improvement, your on-site assessment team may request a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) to help guide you toward vital quality improvements.