FDA posts advisory on importance of proper positioning during mammography
The FDA posted a new advisory to its Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) website earlier this week, emphasizing the importance of proper patient positioning during mammography.
“Poor positioning has been found to be the cause of most clinical image deficiencies and most failures of accreditation,” the advisory read.
Poor positioning often leads to an Additional Mammography Review (AMR), the post explained, and AMRs sometimes lead to the facility being ordered to cease performing mammography by the FDA.
In addition, the advisory noted that “the responsibility for correct positioning is shared by the technologist and the interpreting physician.”
The FDA has been sharing advisories in recent months to help providers make sure they’re doing everything expected of them in regards to their medical devices, accreditation, and training. In December 2015, the agency posted a reminder about maintaining PACS, warning that facilities could face penalties or potentially lose important data if they do not comply. In February 2016, the agency reminded facilities about their post-market surveillance responsibilities.
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.