Inclusion of Pediatric-Specific Indications and Procedures in the New ACR MRI Accreditation Program

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiology
• Quality Assurance

Background:

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) equipment is susceptible to technical and image quality issues, necessitating robust quality assurance protocols.
• The American College of Radiology (ACR) MRI Accreditation Program is standard practice for ensuring quality in radiology and imaging centers.
• Existing ACR MRI accreditation modules were primarily designed for adult imaging, not specifically addressing the unique needs of pediatric patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To revise the ACR MRI Accreditation Program's anatomic modules to better accommodate the specific imaging requirements of pediatric patients.
• To develop pediatric-specific MRI studies for integration into the ACR MRI Accreditation Program.
• To ensure comprehensive accreditation for pediatric imaging centers across all anatomic modules.

Main Methods:

• An ad hoc committee, comprising ACR members from five children's hospitals, was formed under the ACR Commission on Pediatric Imaging.
• The committee was tasked with recommending revisions to existing anatomic modules and developing new pediatric-specific imaging studies.
• Recommendations were incorporated into updated ACR MRI accreditation anatomic modules, released in May 2017.

Main Results:

• Updated ACR MRI accreditation anatomic modules incorporating pediatric-specific recommendations were released.
• The revised modules are designed to meet the distinct imaging needs of pediatric patients.
• These changes facilitate ACR MRI accreditation for pediatric imaging centers across all anatomic modules.

Conclusions:

• The revised ACR MRI accreditation modules enhance quality assurance for pediatric MRI.
• The updated program supports best imaging practices for patients of all ages.
• Pediatric imaging centers can now achieve comprehensive ACR MRI accreditation.