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.
• Participation in at least two National Radiology Data Registries. Please note that there are exceptions for sites that are focused in scope such as breast imaging only and pediatric facilities.
• Agree to a pre-DICOE virtual survey to confirm eligibility. Undergo a virtual survey by a team that includes a radiologist, a medical physicist, and a radiologic technologist or ACR senior accreditation staff.

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. For sites that are focused in scope (e.g., breast imaging or pediatric sites), one registry
would be sufficient if only one registry applies to the scope of imaging services provided. For example, breast imaging only sites must participate in the National Mammography Database Registry but are not required to participate in a second registry. ACR will make this decision upon review of the application. Your site will receive a 15% reduction on registry costs as a DICOE facility. 

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

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.

Areas of assessment for Baseline Criteria (BC) are listed below.

• Physical Environment
  
• Equipment
  
• Radiation and MRI Safety
  
• General Safety
  
• Quality Management System
  
• Communication
  
• Utilization Review and Appropriateness of Services
  
• Emergency Services

Areas of assessment for Advanced Criteria (AC) are listed below.

• Quality Initiatives in any of the following areas as applicable.
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Quality Improvement Programs
  • Registries/Outcomes
  • Designations/Certification of Focused Excellence
  • MR Safety Teams
  • Recommendation Tracking
  • Peer Learning
  • Critical Results
  • Utilization/Appropriateness Program
  • Radiology-Pathology Correlations

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.