National quality validation programs for breast centers

With the emphasis on quality of care spurred by the Institute of Medicine, two breast care quality programs have been developed. The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers is composed of 13 national organizations interested in setting structural standards for breast care. Accreditation occurs during an on-site survey review of the three types of breast centers every 3 years. A second program uses a web-based set of questions called the National Quality Measurements for Breast Centers established by the National Consortium of Breast Centers. Yearly confidential submission of data allows the centers to compare themselves with like-centers across the country using a real-time results program. These two programs herald a new phase of quality monitoring based on comparisons with other providers of breast care. In this new paradigm, simply being licensed to provide care will not be satisfactory proof of quality of care.