| Categories: MRI Accreditation | Author: Resonant Healthcare Imaging Solutions | 0
After receiving your MRI accreditation, your facility is required to conduct weekly inspections to ensure that your MRI machine is functioning properly and that the MRI environment is safe. However, to prevent accidents and injuries to patients and staff, your facility should conduct an MRI Safety Assessment and take an in-depth look at its safety policies and procedures at least once a year.
An MRI Safety Assessment is a comprehensive way to review your MRI safety policies and procedures to ensure that they align with the standards set by your accreditation organization. Even if your facility has appropriate MRI safety policies and procedures in place, it is a good idea to conduct regular MRI Safety Assessments to ensure that the policies adhere to any new guidelines and are being adhered to by all staff. An MRI Safety Assessment will address the following areas:
Just like with any radiology procedure, there are risks associated with MRIs and exposure to MRI imaging equipment. In addition to making sure that your MRI equipment is operating safely and effectively, your facility needs to have policies in place to prevent negative patient events such as burns, hearing damage, and interactions with medical devices. Additionally, you need to be sure that your staff are equipped to care for critically ill or injured patients and know what to do in the event of an emergency.
Also, conducting regular MRI Safety Assessments will ensure that your facility is prepared in the event of a surprise onsite MRI accreditation audit and will enable you to provide documentation of your safety efforts when it is time to renew your MRI accreditation. Having a safety program that includes up-to-date policies and regular MRI Safety Assessments also may help to reduce your facility’s liability if a staff member or patient is injured.
Although your facility should be performing weekly checks of your MRI equipment and environment, your facility also should conduct a comprehensive MRI Safety Assessment at least once a year.
The American College of Radiologists (ACR) requires accredited facilities to conduct an annual MRI safety meeting, and the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) requires facilities to conduct an annual policy and procedure review. Both organizations also require annual performance testing, during which you will need to produce your weekly testing records for your physics expert to review.
Many facilities choose to conduct their MRI Safety Assessment as part of these annual safety events. However, other facilities choose to conduct in-depth MRI Safety Assessments more frequently, such as quarterly or every six months. Some facilities perform MRI Safety Assessments after any accident or injury, or in response to new safety guidance issued by the accreditation organization.
Your accreditation organization will provide the guidance you need to stay current on the latest safety protocols and may have checklists that you can use when conducting your MRI Safety Assessment.
However, many facilities find it helpful to hire a third-party MRI accreditation consultant / coordinator to help them establish a comprehensive safety program and conduct an MRI Safety Assessment. In many cases, a third party can bring a fresh perspective to MRI safety and can help your staff spot problems and identify areas for improvement. Additionally, a third-party MRI accreditation consultant / coordinator can use their years of experience to provide valuable recommendations about the most effective ways to keep your staff and patients safe.
An MRI accreditation consultant / coordinator will be up-to-date on the latest industry safety standards and can give you valuable advice about how to document your safety efforts for auditors and MRI accreditation renewal.
Regular MRI Safety Assessments are critical to protect your facility’s patients and staff. If you have questions about MRI safety or want to schedule an MRI Safety Assessment for your facility, our MRI specialists at Resonant can help. For more information or to speak with a Resonant expert, call 877.938.5665 or click here to contact us. For more information or to speak with a Resonant expert, contact us.
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