ACR Information
ACR – Frequently asked questions
What should I know about radiation safety?
Before your imaging procedure be sure to ask your physician the following questions:
- Why is the test needed?
- How will having the test improve my care?
- Are there alternatives that do not use radiation and deliver similar results?
- Is the facility accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR)?
- Are pediatric and adult tests delivered using the appropriate radiation doses?
Why should I have my imaging exam done at an accredited facility?
When you see the gold seals of accreditation prominently displayed in our imaging facility, you can be sure that you are in a facility that meets standards for imaging quality and safety. Look for the ACR Gold Seals of Accreditation.
To achieve the ACR Gold Standard of Accreditation, our facility’s personnel qualifications, equipment requirements, quality assurance, and quality control procedures have gone through a rigorous review process and have met specific qualifications. It’s important for patients to know that every aspect of the ACR accreditation process is overseen by board-certified, expert radiologists and medical physicists in advanced diagnostic imaging.
What does ACR accreditation mean?
- Our facility has voluntarily gone through a vigorous review process to ensure that we meet nationally-accepted standards of care.
- Our personnel are well qualified, through education and certification, to perform mdical imaging, interpret your images, and administer your radiation therapy treatments.
- Our equipment is appropriate for the test or treatment you will receive, and our facility meets or exceeds quality assurance and safety guidelines.
What does the gold seal mean?
When you see the ACR gold seal, you can rest assured that your prescribed imaging test will be done at a facility that has met the highest level of imaging quality and radiation safety. The facility and its personnel have gone through a comprehensive review to earn accreditation status by the American College of Radiology (ACR), the largest and oldest imaging accrediting body in the U.S. and a professional organization of 34,000 physicians.
ACR – PATIENT NOTICE
ACR – PATIENT INFO
Are you concerned about exposure to radiation?
Look for the ACR gold seal and put your mind at ease.
When you see the gold seal of accreditation, you can rest assured that the facility will meet the highest level of patient safety standards and image quality.
Why? Because it means that the facility and its personnel have gone through a comprehensive review to earn accreditation status by the American College of Radiology (ACR).
Among patients and physicians alike, ACR accreditation is recognized as the gold standard in medical imaging.
Before your imaging procedure, be sure to ask your physician…
- Why is the exam needed?
- How will having the exam improve care?
- Are there alternatives that do not use radiation and deliver similar results?
- Is the facility ACR accredited?
- Are pediatric exams delivering “kid-sized” radiation doses?
With recent news coverage about radiation dose, it’s no wonder that patients concerned about radiation dose safety seek out facilities that display ACR accreditation seals.
When you see the ACR gold seal, you know that the:
- Facility has undergone a rigorous review process and meets nationally accepted standards of care
- Personnel are well qualified to perform your procedure and interpret your medical images
- Equipment is assessed by a medical imaging expert who verifies that it functions properly, takes optimal images, and utilizes appropriate radiation dose levels
Your doctor trusts ACR … you can, too
Accreditation by ACR demonstrates your doctor’s commitment to quality care and patient safety.
For over three quarters of a century, ACR has devoted its resources to making imaging safe, effective, and accessible to those who need it. ACR comprises physicians, physicists, and technology experts in radiology and is the oldest and most experienced imaging accreditation body.
Simply put, look for the facility that puts its medical imaging accreditation in the hands of medical imaging experts. Look for the ACR Gold Standard.
To learn more about radiation safety and procedures, visit www.RadiologyInfo.org.