The Joint Commission revises timeline for diagnostic imaging standards

Citing feedback that required further research, The Joint Commission last week announced it will postpone implementation of its revised diagnostic imaging requirements for hospitals, critical access hospitals, and ambulatory care organizations. The changes were intended to take effect July 1, 2014, with additional changes to be phased in by 2015.

However, key stakeholders identified issues that may not have been found or were not sufficiently evaluated during the standards development process, requiring additional research. The commission is collecting additional information about several critical areas of radiation safety, including:

• Documentation of radiation dose
• Annual equipment performance evaluations by a medical physicist or magnetic resonance scientist
• Minimum qualifications for radiologic technologists who perform computerized tomography exams

Source: The Joint Commission