The Joint Commission has postponed the 2014 implementation of revised diagnostic imaging requirements for hospitals, critical access hospitals and ambulatory care organizations.
The revised requirements were to go into effect July 1, 2014, but now will be phased in by July 2015. The requirements address the risks associated with diagnostic imaging and were first published in January 2014. Since then, the Joint Commission has received feedback from important stakeholders raising concerns about some of the standards that suggest further research is needed to make sure these standards as written best promote quality and safety.
The Joint Commission is now acquiring more information about several areas of radiation safety, including documentation of the radiation dose, annual equipment performance evaluations by a medical physicist or magnetic resonance scientist, minimum qualifications for radiologic technologists who perform computerized tomography (CT) exams and requirements that align with California's law for organizations performing CT scans. Announcement