The Joint Commission proposed a requirement in February that technologists who perform diagnostic CT must achieve advanced-level certification by January 2018, but late last week it decided to revoke it.
Since the requirement was published, rural and critical access hospitals reached out to the commission with concerns about non-compliance and its consequent negative impact on patient access to CT services.
In addition to omitting the advanced-level certification requirement, the commission also did away with another requirement for organizations to show that the CT technologists are receiving education that prepares them to achieve advanced-level CT certification.
The American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) was disappointed with the commission’s decision to delete the two requirements. The organization stated that the commission didn’t offer details about its decision, so they are planning on contacting them to learn more about the standards and determine if it will be revisited in the future.
For over two years, ASRT worked with the commission and other medical imaging organizations to develop standards that require CT technologists to be “educationally prepared and clinically competent.” Even though the new standards require technologists to be certified or licensed by the state, ASRT believes that it’s not enough.
According to the updated requirements, a CT technologist must be licensed by the state to perform diagnostic CT exams, certified in radiography by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (AART), or be certified in nuclear medicine by AART or the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB), with documented training.
