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Purpose The aim of this study was to glean from accreditation surveys of US nuclear medicine facilities the in-practice radiopharmaceutical diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) and achievable administered activities (AAAs) for adult gamma camera myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). Methods Data were collected from the ACR Nuclear Medicine Accreditation Program during one three-year accreditation cycle from May 1, 2012, to April 30, 2015. Data elements included radiopharmaceutical, administered activity, examination protocol, interpreting physician specialty, practice type, and facility annual examination volume. Facility demographics, DRLs, and AAAs were tabulated for analysis. Results The calculated DRLs and AAAs are consistent with previously published surveys, and they adhere to national societal guidelines. Facilities seeking ACR accreditation are nearly evenly split between hospital based with multiple gamma cameras and office based with single gamma cameras. The majority of facilities use single-day, low-dosage/high-dosage 99m Tc-based protocols; a small minority use 201 TlCl protocols. Administered activities show a consistency across facilities, likely reflecting adoption of standard MPI protocols. Conclusions This practice-based analysis provides DRL and AAA benchmarks that nuclear medicine facilities may use to refine gamma camera MPI protocols. In general, the protocols submitted for ACR accreditation are consistent with national societal guidelines. The results suggest that there may be opportunities to further reduce patient radiation exposure by using modified examination protocols and newer gamma camera software and hardware technologies.

The accreditation programs of the American College of Radiology (ACR) are the most established and widely proven for all imaging modalities. For facilities committed to quality imaging, the ACR Nuclear Medicine and PET Accreditation Program provides a solid foundation for a continuous quality improvement program through a peer review and educational process. This article provides general information describing the goals and development of the ACR accreditation programs. The ACR Nuclear Medicine and PET Accreditation Program evaluates the qualifications of personnel, equipment, image quality, and quality control measures. It is believed that these are the primary factors that have an impact on the quality of patient imaging. This article describes the application process, including the clinical examinations that are required and the quality control and performance tests that are expected from each facility. Outcomes and pass/fail statistics are discussed, as are common pitfalls that may cause deficiencies. Upon completion of this article, the reader should be able to describe the application process, the components of the ACR accreditation program, the most common causes for failure, and the site survey process.

The American College of Radiology's (ACR) Nuclear Medicine and PET Accreditation Programs evaluate qualifications of personnel, equipment, image quality, and quality control measures. It is believed that these are primary factors that impact the quality of patient imaging. The ACR accreditation allows facilities to critique and improve their practices as part of their preparation for the accreditation evaluation process. The goals of the ACR Nuclear Medicine and PET Accreditation Programs are improvement in the quality of imaging, provision of educational information by raising awareness of imaging issues, and the recognition of imaging facilities which meet program objectives. This presentation will outline the program requirements, highlighting some of the common pitfalls that may cause deficiencies in both the clinical and phantom submissions. This presentation will provide participants with: 1. General information describing the ACR Accreditation Programs 2. Information about the Diagnostic Modality Accreditation Programs 3. Specific information about the ACR Nuclear Medicine and PET Accreditation Program, to include the application process, clinical images submission and quality control requirements.

The American College of Radiology's (ACR) Nuclear Medicine and PET Accreditation Programs evaluate qualifications of personnel, equipment, image quality, and quality control measures. It is believed that these are primary factors that impact the quality of patient imaging. The ACR accreditation allows facilities to critique and improve their practices as part of their preparation for the accreditation evaluation process. The goals of the ACR Nuclear Medicine and PET Accreditation Programs are improvement in the quality of imaging, provision of educational information by raising awareness of imaging issues, and the recognition of imaging facilities which meet program objectives. This presentation will outline the program requirements, highlighting some of the common pitfalls that may cause deficiencies in both the clinical and phantom submissions. Educational Objectives: 1. General information describing the ACR Accreditation Programs. 2. Information about the Diagnostic Modality Accreditation Programs. 3. Specific information about the ACR Nuclear Medicine and PET Accreditation Program, to include the application process, clinical images submission and quality control requirements.