We provide our software clients with weekly eTutoring and the next 2 weeks we are reviewing the recent echo accreditation changes to the QI program and to the random audits. We wanted to share this information with all of you. This week, we will briefly review both the current changes in effect and the new changes that will kick in January 2017.
There have been a lot of changes within IAC as they try to standardize their QI program across all modalities. Luckily for us echo folks the changes to the QI program are modeled around the existing echo QI program. This means fewer changes for echo and plenty of changes for other modalities like vascular. The first set of changes was implemented earlier this year. However, on June 8th, IAC released amended standards and changed a few more things that become effective January 1st, 2017. I will break down what this means for you. All the changes are actually making completing the standards easier requiring less time to complete!
| Measure | Currently | January 1st, 2017 |
| Report Review | Keep reviewing 10 reports per quarter and represent as many physicians as possible and represent the testing areas you perform in your lab | This will be reduced to just TWO reports each quarter! |
| Clinical Correlation | This has been reduced to 2 per testing area per YEAR with a minimum of 4 per YEAR. Examples: If you only perform adult echo you will now only need 4 adult echo correlations each YEAR. If you perform echo, SE and TEE you would need to complete 2 per testing area per YEAR. | This will remain the same. Remember the new requirement is an ANNUAL measure. It’s okay to skip a quarter as long as by the end of the year you have a minimum of 4 clinical studies and at least 2 per testing area. |
| Physician Peer Review New Name: Interpretive Quality | Keep completing 2 physician peer review studies per testing area per quarter. | This will remain the same. |
| Sonographer Peer Review New Name: Technical quality | Keep reviewing 2 studies per testing area per quarter. Currently, many of you just have the physicians complete this during their peer review. You can continue to do this. | This will remain the same. |
| Quality Improvement Meetings | This has been reduced from 4 per year to only 2 per year. | This will remain at the reduced 2 per year. PLEASE – continue to complete the quarterly QI meeting minutes. All your QI Measures are still quarterly and you want to summarize them quarterly. You can now bunch 2 meetings together when you review the information with the physicians if it makes life easier. |
| Appropriate Use Criteria | Currently 30 reports per year must be reviewed | Changing to just 2 reports per quarter in Jan 2017. |
We are all looking forward to January 2017 when the Echo QI Program is streamlined down to the annual requirement of 4 clinical correlations (minimum of 2 per testing area) and the quarterly requirements are to review just 2 studies for:
- Appropriate use and report completeness
- Technical Quality
- Interpretive Quality
Next week we will review the new audit system that the IAC has implemented so that you are not caught off guard. Please feel free to contact us any time with questions or help regarding your accreditation needs.
To read IAC’s Adult Echocardiography Standards, click here.
