The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) has updated its website with comprehensive information related to non-physician medical scope-of-practice expansion issues. Most scope proposals are introduced as state legislative proposals or as proposed rule changes. To protect patients, avoid confusion over the training of healthcare providers and ensure access to high-quality care, the ACR opposes scope-of-practice expansion, including imaging supervision or interpretation by any non-physician providers. The ACR tracks and acts on hundreds of bills nationwide, including those regarding physician-extender scope of practice.
State chapters and the ACR work to ensure that these professionals only provide care as part of a radiologist-led team. Together they advocate at legislative, regulatory and administrative levels for clear, sensible definition of scope for allied health professionals.
The regulation of the scope of practice of non-physician personnel varies from state to state and is determined through state licensing requirements; states address scope on an issue-by-issue basis. Many states also allow the scope of practice for certain professionals, such as physician assistants (PAs), to be determined at the practice level rather than by the state.
In recent expansion news, Oregon just concluded a scope-expansion initiative when Gov. Kate Brown signed House Bill (HB) 3036 into law that changes the practice agreement between a physician and a PA from a supervising to a collaborating agreement.
To keep current on latest developments with scope of practice and to learn more about expansion efforts, visit the interactive ACR website.