Statistically Speaking
THE WHO, WHAT, AND WHERE
OF ICAVL ACCREDITED LABORATORIES

from the July 2006 issue

Have you ever wondered how your accredited vascular laboratory compares with approximately 1,140 other laboratories currently accredited by the ICAVL? A primary philosophy held by the ICAVL Board of Directors has always been that the ability for a vascular laboratory to become accredited should be inclusive as opposed to exclusive. The intent of this philosophy is that the Standards and application requirements include such a broad scope that a private practice laboratory located in a rural setting would have as much opportunity to achieve accreditation as a larger laboratory located in an academic institution.

The ICAVL is sponsored by a variety of professional organizations representing cardiology, diagnostic ultrasound, echocardiography, interventional radiology, neurology, neurosurgery, radiology, vascular medicine, vascular surgery and vascular technology. Appointed individuals representing the various sponsoring organizations make up the ICAVL Board of Directors. Not only are the various specialty fields associated with vascular testing represented, the individuals making up the Board of Directors come from a diverse scope of vascular laboratory venues as well, ranging from privately run office-based laboratories to university hospital settings.

The following statistics feature information gathered from ICAVL accreditation applications as of June 2006. You will find that these statistics reflect this multidisciplinary and inclusive approach to the accreditation process, and provide you with an idea of the likenesses and differences your own personal lab possesses in comparison to other accredited laboratories.

THE WHO Over the past three years, 83% of the laboratories applying for accreditation are seeking reaccreditation (figure 1), while 17% applied for the first time. Accreditation through the ICAVL was first offered in 1990, making it possible for some of the very first laboratories achieving ICAVL accreditation to be accredited for the sixth time. Medical Director and Medical Staff The Medical Directors and Medical Staff members in accredited laboratories have experience and training in a variety of specialty areas, with the average number of medical staff members per lab at six.
		figure 1.

MEDICAL DIRECTOR SPECIALTY:

• Vascular / General Surgery - 54.1%
• Radiology - 13.8%
• Cardiology - 12.9%
• Other - 10%
• Interventional Radiology - 4.4%
• Vascular Medicine / Cardiology - 3.2%
• Neurology - 3%
• Internal Medicine - 2.3%
• Vascular Medicine / Internal Medicine - 2%
• Neurosurgery - 0.3%

MEDICAL STAFF SPECIALTY:

• Radiology - 36.5%
• Vascular / General Surgery - 35.3%
• Cardiology - 10.4%
• Neurology - 7%
• Interventional Radiology - 5.8%
• Internal Medicine - 1.8%
• Vascular Medicine / Cardiology - 1.6%
• Other - 0.9%
• Vascular Medicine / Internal Medicine - 0.7%
• Neurosurgery - 0.3%

Technical Director and Technical Staff The average number of technical staff members in an accredited laboratory is four. All laboratories must have a technical director appointed, who is required to possess one of the following credentials in vascular technology: Registered Vascular Technologist [RVT], Registered Vascular Sonographer [RVS], Registered Technologist (Vascular Sonography) [RT(VS)], or for laboratories applying in only Extracranial and Intracranial Cerebrovascular testing, a physician who has passed the American Society of Neuroimaging's Neurosonology examination (figure 2).
		figure 2.

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