It demonstrates a commitment to quality care.
The purpose of the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) and its divisions is to provide a mechanism for accreditation of facilities which perform comprehensive testing in noninvasive vascular, echocardiography, nuclear medicine/nuclear cardiology/PET, magnetic resonance, computed tomography and carotid stenting. Through the accreditation process, laboratories assess every aspect of daily operation and its impact on the quality of health care provided to patients. Laboratories, in completing the accreditation application, often identify and correct potential problems, revising protocols and validating quality assurance programs. Because accreditation is renewed every three years, a long-term commitment to quality and self-assessment is developed and maintained. Laboratories may use IAC accreditation as the foundation to create and achieve realistic quality care goals.
It provides a confidential peer review.
Designed to serve laboratories as an educational tool, IAC accreditation is made up of two crucial steps. First, laboratories conduct a detailed self-evaluation using the Standards (the specific guidelines for imaging accreditation) and the application. Completing the application requires detailed information on all aspects of laboratory operation as well as the submission of actual case studies for review. The case studies are crucial in determining the laboratory's compliance with the Standards, and are the basis for judgment of the quality of work that laboratories perform. Once the self-evaluation is completed, the documents and case studies are reviewed by the Board of Directors. All aspects of the review are confidential.
It's a recruiting tool.
Accredited laboratories can use their accreditation as a recruiting tool to attract the best and brightest physicians, technologists and sonographers. Talented professionals look for high quality programs and the status of accreditation assures potential employees that a laboratory is dedicated to achieving the highest standards for patient care.
It's intersocietal.
The IAC is a nonprofit organization comprised of six accrediting divisions:
ICAVL | Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories
ICAEL | Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories
ICANL | Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Nuclear Medicine Laboratories
ICAMRL | Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Magnetic Resonance Laboratories
ICACTL | Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Computed Tomography Laboratories
ICACSF | Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Carotid Stenting Facilities
The IAC divisions have been established with the support of the sponsoring organizations. Representatives from these organizations, including physicians, sonographers, technologists, and physicists, serve on the Board of Directors. The Standards have been created for each IAC division by its Board of Directors to serve laboratories as a guide. All areas of testing were represented during the development of the Standards and all areas continue to steer the accreditation process.
It's proven successful.
The story of IAC accreditation began in 1990 with the introduction of the ICAVL. Now in its second decade offering noninvasive vascular accreditation, the ICAVL has proven itself successful, and reimbursement for vascular laboratories in more than 30 states hinges on either laboratory accreditation or technologist certification. During the past fourteen years, ICAVL accreditation has been used as the model for similar programs in other specialties. Echocardiography laboratories may seek accreditation through the ICAEL. Nuclear medicine, nuclear cardiology and PET laboratories are served by the ICANL. Magnetic resonance laboratories may seek accreditation through the ICAMRL. Computed tomography laboratories apply through the ICACTL. And most recently, a sixth avenue for accreditation is being introduced for carotid stenting facilities through the ICACSF. Collectively, these organizations form the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC).
It demonstrates accountability.
Health care organizations are held to high levels of accountability — by peers, by the general public, and by Medicare and other payers. Many states have instituted reimbursement directives that require either accreditation of the laboratory or certification of personnel (a detailed list of current payment policies can be found in the top navigation bar of each division website, under Reimbursement). Similar draft payment policies are pending throughout the United States. Laboratories attaining accreditation before it is required for reimbursement demonstrate a willingness to surpass current expectations. The general public and members of the medical community will recognize an unmatched commitment to providing quality health care by laboratories that achieve IAC accreditation. |
