October deadline for new ACR practice parameters and technical standards

Four new and 23 revised documents in the 2018 Practice Parameters and Technical Standards have been published by the American College of Radiology (ACR). These became effective Oct. 1, 2018.

The ACR collaborated with 13 national medical specialty societies to develop the new documents and to update the others. They promote the latest recommendations and best-practice guidelines in safe and effective radiology.

The four new practice parameters are:

• The ACR-ASNR-SIR-SNIS Practice Parameter for the Performance of Endovascular Embolectomy and Revascularization in Acute Stroke
• The ACR Practice Parameter for the Performance of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT)
• The ACR Practice Parameter for the Performance of Gallium-68 DOTATATE PET/CT Neuroendocrine Tumors
• The ACR Practice Parameter for the Performance of 18F-Fluciclovine PET/CT for Recurrent Prostate Cancer.

Guidance documents approved by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and the Commission on Medical Physics have been published. These became effective Aug. 1, 2018.

They include:

• ACR–AAPM Technical Standard for the Performance of Proton Beam Radiation Therapy
• ACR–AAPM Technical Standard for Medical Physics Performance Monitoring of PET/CT Imaging Equipment
• ACR–AAPM Technical Standard for Management of the Use of Radiation in Fluoroscopic Procedures
• ACR–AAPM Technical Standard for Nuclear Medical Physics Performance Monitoring of Gamma Cameras
• ACR–AAPM Practice Parameter on the Expert Witness in Medical Physics

Documents approved by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) include the ACR–ASTRO Practice Parameter for the Performance of Proton Beam Radiation Therapy and the ACR–ASTRO Practice Parameter for Radiation Oncology. These also became effective August 1, 2018.