Quality Assurance

-Method of continuously examining processes and making them more effective
-Focus is on the PROCESS, not the individual
-It is NOT punitive, demeaning, demoralizing, divisive, or busywork

continuing education

Quality Assurance:
-Develops and maintains quality in your practice
-Ensures uniform, consistent standards for interpretation and reporting
-Excellent ________________ _____________________ tool.

ICAEL, ASE, SDMS, minimum standards

Quality Assurance: Standards and Guidelines
-____________________ Standards
-_______ Guidelines and Standards
-______________ Position Statements
-ASE Sonographer ______________ _____________.

written policy, AUC (Appropriate Use Criteria), instrument maintenance, procedure volumes, CME, peer review, correlation, report timeliness, conferences, record keeping

ICAEL QA Components
(*Listing Question on Exam)

accreditation; January 1, 2012

Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC)
-Mandatory requirement for ____________________ effective _______________________.

30 consecutive TTE, 30 consecutive TEE, 30 consecutive Stress patients ANNUALLY

Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC)
-Appropriate use must be measured in a minimum of ________________________, __________________________, and _______________________________.

Transthoracic, Transesophageal

Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC)
-ACCF/ASE/ACEP/ASNC/SCCT/SCMR 2007 Appropriateness Criteria for __________________ and _______________________ Echocardiography.

appropriate, inappropriate, uncertain

Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC)
-Percentage of ______________, ______________, and _______________ indications for testing must be measured.

education; reporting

Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC)
-A program for _____________ and _______________ must be developed.

baseline rates; patterns; goals; measurement; confidential reports

Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC)
A program for education and reporting must be developed and include:
-______________ _______________ of adherence
-___________________ of adherence
-___________________ for improvement
-_____________________ of improvement
-

ordering physician, ordering practice, interpreting practice

Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC)
A program for education and reporting must be developed and include:
-Confidential reports on patterns of adherence: ____________________, ______________________, _____________________

schedule, procedure list, billing

Procedure Volumes:
-Annual individual and laboratory stats
-Records of individual procedure volumes should include volumes from all laboratories where staff perform/interpret echocardiograms
-Methods of tracking: _________________, _____________, ________

continuing education; annually; conferences, courses

*CME
-Documentation of echocardiography-related _______________ _______________ for all medical and technical personnel MUST be maintained
-Keep in central location; update _________________
-Materials: CD, journal, internet, videotape materials; departme

15; 3

*CME:
-_____ echo-related CME credits required for all staff (______ year period)

1 AMA; 1 credit

*CME:
-Category ______________ credit
-Other approved non-category ________________ (ASE, SDMS, or ARRT) that have content SPECIFIC to ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY.

two; quarter; quarterly

*Variability:
-EF, wall motion analysis, and degree of regurgitation/stenosis must be assessed on a minimum of __________ cases PER MODALITY per __________ to be reviewed in _______________ conferences.
-Represent as many physicians as possible
-Policy to

quarterly; two

*QA conferences
-_________________ conferences MUST be held to review the results of variability, correlation, and report timeliness to address discrepancies and to discuss difficult cases.
-Attendance by the medical and technical directors or their desig

simple, steal, adapt, document, share

Merri's Rules for QA
-Keep it ________________ and practical
-Involve lots of people and ideas
-____________ shamelessly from others
-____________ what you've stolen
-Be methodical
-______________________
-___________ what you've found