Joint Commission announces revised requirements for diagnostic imaging

Michael Walter | | Radiology Business | Quality

The Joint Commission has announced revised requirements for diagnostic imaging services, clarifying who is and is not qualified to perform diagnostic CT procedures.

There are several minor updates, but significantly less than the commission’s last round of updated requirements, which went into effect on July 1, 2015.

One of the updates notes that, effective Jan. 1, 2018, technologists who perform diagnostic CT must, at a minimum, have advanced-level certification by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). More information about the updated requirements is available on the Joint Commission’s website.

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) said in a statement it is "pleased [The Joint Commission] followed SNMMI's recommendations, and made the following changes to their Standards."

These new requirements are scheduled to go into effect on Sept. 1.

Michael Walter
Michael Walter, Managing Editor

Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.

Related Content

Patients frequently fail to obtain follow-up imaging. Could radiologist-referrer disagreements be to blame?
Hospitals pilot policies to test older radiologists’ mental and physical fitness
Does placing a patient’s photograph in the EHR influence radiologist behavior?
Most referrer requests for imaging are inadequate, new scoring system shows
Outsourced radiology reports less thorough than in-house ones, researchers claim
Effort to stop primary care providers from ordering low-value imaging hits brick wall

Around the web

Cardiovascular Business
Global shortage of nuclear imaging isotopes may be over

The nuclear imaging isotope shortage of molybdenum-99 may be over now that the sidelined reactor is restarting. ASNC's president says PET and new SPECT technologies helped cardiac imaging labs better weather the storm.

Cardiovascular Business
‘A huge win’: CMS significantly increases Medicare payments for cardiac CT

CMS has more than doubled the CCTA payment rate from $175 to $357.13. The move, expected to have a significant impact on the utilization of cardiac CT, received immediate praise from imaging specialists.

Cardiovascular Business
GE HealthCare moves PET/CT scanner production to United States

The all-in-one Omni Legend PET/CT scanner is now being manufactured in a new production facility in Waukesha, Wisconsin.