The final rule: what administrators must know by April 28

On April 28, 1999, the Final Rule of the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) goes into effect. The Final Rule remains basically the same, with the addition of a few new specifications and modifications. The Quality Standards are divided into two parts. To obtain and maintain compliance with the standards, facilities must be most familiar with sections 900.10 through 900.12 in Subpart B. A policy on reinstatement, added to the section on requirements for certification, outlines the conditions facilities must meet to have their certification reinstated. The requirements for mammography personnel, equipment and general quality assurance standards are listed in section 900.12, (a) through (j). A new requirement is that mammography technologists must have 40 hours of direct instruction, eight of which must include training in each modality they will use to perform examinations. All mammography personnel must have a minimum of eight hours training before working independently in a new modality. The Final Rule makes it clear that mammography facilities are responsible for communicating test results to patients. Under the Final Rule, responsibility for a facility's quality assurance program now belongs to the lead-interpreting physician, a position facilities are now required to have. Facility cleanliness and infection control standards have been added to the section on QA requirements. The Final Rule establishes that facilities must establish and implement an infection control program, as well as a documented procedure for resolving consumer complaints.