Accreditation for cardiovascular imaging: setting quality standards for patient care

The accreditation of laboratories performing noninvasive cardiac procedures is now routinely available and often required by insurance companies. In this article, the history of the accreditation for cardiac procedures is reviewed, the process explained, and the number of accredited laboratories listed. Decision pathways are listed, and common reasons for a laboratory being delayed in approval are described specific for the various modalities. Some of the common compliments and concerns received by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission are described.