![]() ![]() ![]() 2 But as the Joint Commission notes, there is a great need for competency assessment in this area as access guidelines are frequently subject to noncompliance. ![]() Imaging standards require the screening of all personnel and patients before entering the radiology room (ensuring, for example, the exclusion of ferromagnetic objects or implants), along with signage to prevent unauthorized access. In radiology departments, there are strict policies regarding who can access the imaging area and equipment. While additional competencies may exist for specific radiology procedures at one health facility versus another, the following basic areas can benefit from competency management. Following these prescriptions can be viewed as akin to achieving sign-off on a long list of competencies. The general capabilities and clinical attributes required of trainees – and for which competency must be assessed – are prescribed in the Joint Commission’s checklist. What are the standards of competency in radiology? Without a competent team, standards will suffer, and noncompliance will plague a facility’s ability to provide needed services. The knowledge and practical skills included in the Imaging Standards checklist should be at the core of competency assessments. 1 Their Imaging Standards were developed to help radiology departments delivery high-quality care by achieving industry-mandated expectations – including staff performance.įor radiology centers to operate at the top of their game, the Joint Commission’s Imaging Standards cover a variety of topics from dose management to equipment maintenance. The Joint Commission is a global enterprise that helps health organizations across the care continuum meet rigorous standards to provide safe and effective care. What is the role of competency assessment in radiology? To keep up with an evolving set of guidelines, compliance management platforms offer a modern-day grace. But anyone familiar with the Joint Commissions’ Imaging Standards knows the checklist is long and constantly being amended. To help an organization confidently perform and report accurate and reliable imaging results, competency assessment is required on a semiannual basis. For radiology centers, where imaging processes require manual calibration of sophisticated equipment with potentially hazardous exposures, managing competency is a top priority. This is an ongoing task, and the best compliance strategies should be designed around competency assessment efforts. It is critical for medical staff, especially in robust imaging departments, to stay inspection ready. To decrease the risk of erroneous results, the test needs to be performed correctly, by trained personnel and in an environment where good laboratory practices are followed.Back The Need for Competency Management Systems in Radiology In addition, erroneous results from diagnostic tests, such as those for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody, can have unintended consequences. For example, results from waived tests can be used to adjust medication dosages, such as prothrombin time testing in patients undergoing anticoagulant therapy and glucose monitoring in diabetics. Some waived tests have potential for serious health impacts if performed incorrectly. Errors can occur anywhere in the testing process, particularly when the manufacturer’s instructions are not followed and when testing personnel are not familiar with all aspects of the test system. Although CLIA requires that waived tests must be simple and have a low risk for erroneous results, this does not mean that waived tests are completely error-proof. Waived tests include test systems cleared by the FDA for home use and those tests approved for waiver under the CLIA criteria. All facilities in the United States that perform laboratory testing on human specimens for health assessment or the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of disease are regulated under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA). ![]()
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