Provisional Grant Now Also Applies To CME & QA Deficiencies

from the February 2007 issue

Since adopting the Standard requiring the Technical Director of each applicant laboratory to be credentialed in vascular testing, the ICAVL created and implemented a decision pathway known as the Provisional grant (for one year only). This decision pathway was added to the existing decision options of Grant, Delay and Deny. At their summer 2006 meeting, the Board of Directors determined that the Provisional grant decision pathway is also appropriate for laboratories experiencing CME and QA deficiencies. The Provisional grant is used in specific instances where problems are identified but are such that they would not negatively impact the day-to-day quality of the studies performed in the laboratory. Only laboratories applying for their first accreditation are eligible to receive a Provisional grant; reaccreditation applications with these specific deficiencies will receive a Delay decision.

The anticipated use of the Provisional grant will be for laboratories that have demonstrated quality diagnostic studies through their application process, but:

• have staff members who are not in compliance with the Continuing Education requirements:
• Medical Director: at least 15 hours of CME credit relevant to noninvasive vascular technology every three years, 10 of which must be Category I AMA
• Technical Director: at least 15 hours of CME credit relevant to noninvasive vascular technology every three years
• Medical Staff: at least 15 hours of CME credit relevant to noninvasive vascular technology every three years, 10 of which must be Category I AMA
• Technical Staff: at least 15 hours of CME credit relevant to noninvasive vascular technology every three years
  
  
• do not have QA documentation for correlation stated in Section 6 - Quality Assurance and Quality Control of the Organization Standards, 6.1.1: Regular ongoing quality assurance must be performed for all areas of vascular testing performed by the laboratory as outlined in the standards specific to that area.
  
  
• do not have a credentialed Technical Director
• As stated in Section 1 - Supervision and Personnel of the Organization Standards, 1.2.2.1: The Technical Director must have an appropriate credential in vascular technology.

 

After thorough evaluation, the Board of Directors deemed the following as acceptable credentials for vascular technologists:

• Registered Vascular Technologist [RVT]
• Registered Vascular Specialist [RVS]
• Registered Technologist (Vascular Sonography) [RT(VS)]
  (Laboratories applying for accreditation in Extracranial and/or Intracranial Cerebrovascular testing with a physician serving as the Technical Director will meet this requirement if the physician has passed the American Society of Neuroimaging's Neurosonology examination.)

HOW THE PROVISIONAL GRANT WORKS

If a laboratory receives a Provisional grant, they will be notified in writing of that decision, as well as the specific issues that are not in compliance that must be corrected within one year of the decision date. These deficiencies, as well as what is required to document compliance, will be clearly outlined. In addition to the letter, the laboratory will receive a certificate that will expire one year from the date of decision (rather than three years), the camera-ready logo on CD, and press release packet; however, in order to extend the accreditation period the full three years, they must provide documentation of correction of the noted deficiencies within the one-year period.

If such documentation is not received, the accreditation will automatically expire at the end of the year. If the documentation is received and compliance demonstrated, a new certificate will be issued that will be valid for three years from the original date of decision.

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