EDITOR'S
NOTE: The following article has been revised and is modified
from the printed version which originally appeared in
the May issue of the ICANL Newsletter. Of particular note
is the final section entitled "Mystery No. 6,"
which has been edited here for clarity. The ICANL regrets
any confusion.
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At
this time of continued growth and change in the world of Nuclear
Medicine, numerous providers are choosing to alter their operations.
Some groups are adding a new area of service, or are choosing
to work with a mobile service, while others are merging forces
with other groups providing the same or similar services. Being
aware of this trend, and the important role that both mobile
and multiple site laboratories play in the field of Nuclear
Medicine, the ICANL Board of Directors created the Multiple
Site and Mobile Policies to set guidelines for these types
of laboratories, as they relate to the accreditation process.
Mystery No. 1: Multiple Or Mobile?
When
applying for accreditation, the applicant laboratory should
first determine if they will be required to complete the multiple
site and/or the mobile component portion of the Multiple
Site/Mobile Service Supplemental Application in addition
to the complete application.
MULTIPLE
SITE LABORATORIES
A multiple site laboratory is defined by the ICANL as one group
or entity completing one application for accreditation but performing
nuclear testing at more than one fixed/permanent physical location.
Each location maintains the equipment necessary for the procedures
provided at that site.
MOBILE
SERVICE
Mobile services are defined as those that move equipment to
one or more sites, providing the equipment and, often, the medical
and technical staff necessary to perform testing procedures
and interpret results. A mobile service may apply for accreditation
independent of a fixed laboratory site or as a component of
a fixed laboratory accreditation.
Mystery No. 2: Do We Meet The Requirements?
In
order for laboratories to be eligible for Multiple Site and/or
Mobile accreditation, they must document adherence to each of
the specific guidelines listed below:
MULTIPLE
SITE REQUIREMENTS
- All
physicians interpreting any nuclear medicine/nuclear cardiology/PET
imaging procedures at any of the sites are included in the
application for accreditation
- All
technologists performing any nuclear medicine/nuclear cardiology/PET
imaging procedures at any of the sites are included in the
application for accreditation
- All
sites have the same Medical Director and Technical Director
- All
physicians and technologists participate together in quality
assurance and education programs, including in-house conferences
- The
sites all have identical protocols (in the event that the
different sites are using varied equipment, the protocols
must be camera-specific for that site)
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