NQF Endorses ACR Dose Index Registry Performance Measure

The National Quality Forum (NQF) last week formally endorsed “Participation in a Systemic Dose Index Registry”, a performance measure developed by the American College of Radiology (ACR). The measure’s focus is participation in a multi-center dose index registry that collects standardized data and provides feedback, such as the ACR Dose Index Registry. The measure was submitted to NQF under the Patient Safety Measures project in February 2010. Since the submission date, it has undergone an extensive review and approval period. The goal of the dose index registry participation measure is to improve patient safety by helping facilities optimize their imaging protocols to obtain diagnostic images using the lowest reasonable dose, according to the ACR. The use of a national-level, systematic registry can establish national dose index benchmarks for designated examinations. Participating sites can compare their dose indices such as CTDIvol and DLP for specified examinations relative to national and regional benchmarks. The performance measure also requires data to be captured electronically from the images of CT examinations using Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standards and the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) Radiation Exposure Monitoring (REM) profile. A similar measure, submitted by the University of California, San Francisco, was also endorsed by the NQF on August 15. The NQF conducts a formal appeals process, which for the dose index registry measure will be through October 18. To learn more, click here: http://www.qualityforum.org/MeasureDetails.aspx?actid=0&SubmissionId=105#k=0740