Following outcry from stakeholders concerned with patient safety, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has updated the standards pertaining to the maintenance of digital imaging equipment for hospitals. These requirements are expected to take effect on Jan. 22, 2014.
At the beginning of December, 30 stakeholder associations submitted a letter to CMS, urging the agency to update its maintenance standards in the best interest of patient safety. The groups felt that medical imaging and radiation therapy equipment should be maintained according to the manufacturers' recommendations, rather than deviating from the rigid standards in favor of ones that were more lenient.
The stakeholders – including the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, the American Society of Radiologic Technologists, the American Association of Physicists in Medicine and the American College of Radiology – felt that ignoring the guidelines set by the equipment's manufacturers would bring about unnecessary risks to both patients and operators alike. Additionally, they feared that it could interfere with the quality of the images and the performance of the equipment.
Hearing from the House
In November, a group of U.S. House representatives also drafted a letter to CMS, rebuking the organization's proposal of leniency on the maintenance of hospital imaging equipment.
"We are concerned the agency is meeting and speaking with those organizations that support loosening current guidelines, while largely ignoring the many stakeholders who have substantial patient safety concerns about this approach," said the representatives in the letter to CMS.
Support from MITA
After CMS announced its intention to continue mandating the maintenance standards, the Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance commended the agency on its decision. MITA felt that following the manufacturers' standards is best practice because the guidelines are developed as part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's clearance process for medical devices. The rules are reviewed and updated throughout the life cycle of the product in order to appropriately service the equipment.
Even though the new stipulations will not immediately take effect, providers who have recently purchased diagnostic imaging equipment should adhere to the suggested criteria that comes with the hardware. As hospitals and health care providers service their current appliances, they should pay special attention to the standards set by their equipment's manufacturers. Doing so will ensure the safety of not only their patients, but also the members of their staff.
Ronny Bachrach
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