S. 1042 would amend the Public Health Service Act to make the provision of technical services for medical imaging examinations and radiation therapy treatments safer, more accurate, and less costly.
Detailed Summary
Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility, and Excellence in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards to ensure the safety and accuracy of medical imaging studies and radiation therapy treatments. Imposes such standards on personnel who perform, plan, or evaluate, or verify patient doses for, medical imaging studies and radiation therapy procedures and not on the equipment used. Exempts physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.
Directs the Secretary to ensure that individuals demonstrate compliance with such standards.
Requires the Secretary to provide a method for the recognition of individuals whose training and experience are determined to equal or exceed that of: (1) a graduate of an accredited educational program in that specialty; or (2) an individual who is regularly eligible to take the licensure or certification examination for that discipline.
Directs the Secretary to certify qualified nonprofit organizations as approved bodies to provide accreditation to individuals that demonstrate compliance with such standards.
Requires individuals who provide medical imaging services relating to mammograms to continue to meet standards under the Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1992.
Deems state standards for licensure or certification of personnel, accreditation of educational programs, or administration of examinations to be in compliance with the standards under this Act unless the Secretary determines otherwise. Requires the Secretary to establish a process by which a state may appeal such a determination.
Requires the Secretary to ensure that all programs under the authority of the Secretary meet such standards.
Authorizes the Secretary to develop alternative standards for rural areas or health professional shortage areas as appropriate to assure access to quality medical imaging.
Status of the Legislation
Latest Major Action: 3/29/2007: Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Points in Favor
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Points Against
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Visitor Comments
Sharon Schmidt
I do wish the public could be made aware of the importance of passage of this bill. As a breast cancer survivor of l3 years I have researched the constant ratio of damage to dose regarding both radiation imaging and therapy. There is little data on what is and what is not a damaging dose and very little hard data on the long term damage and cumulative damage it can cause. I was not given much of a chance of surviving so many years ago because my radiation therapy was aborted due to the incision opening....and yet here I am alive, but diagnosed with a Radiation Induced Neuropathy. My hope is that patients are informed about possible radiation trauma as well as given the exact amount of dosage they receive before any procedure. I am concerned especially concerned when my own doctors are unaware of the dosage.
Thank you for this site.
Sharon Schmidt shardon-@msn.comD
W Murray
This bill was written for the sole purpose of shutting down pregnancy clinics that advocate life. Those clinic do not have doctors on duty as this law requires. Women who see an ultrasound of their babies do not abort. The author wants to make sure expectant mothers do not see the actual image of their babies at crisis clinics because this will slow the rate of abortions.
Nancy Moureau
As a Vascular Access Specialist and one who uses ultrasound to place PICCs (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters) I see this bill as one that will create problems with a practice area that is currently improving because of the addition of ultrasound guidance. Ultrasound is a very low risk procedure with sound waves that pose no harm to the patient. Using ultrasound to assist in placement of intravenous catheters reduces the risk to patients. Placement of catheters is done by physicians, nurses, nurse and physician practitioners, radiological technologists and others. Since the majority of intravenous devices are placed by nurses, an exemption in this bill should be made for nurses performing vascular access procedures.
Nancy Moureau, BSN, CRNI
Hartwell, GA
Terry J. DuBose, M.S., RDMS
Most of the public is not aware that currently there are no requirements for sonographers to have any education or credentials to operate sonographic instruments (diagnostic ultrasound). A barber or hair dresser has to demonstrate competency, but anyone can scan your heart, vessels, pregnancy, or abdomen. For an understanding of this problem, please listen to Dr. Filly’s comments:
http://www.uams.edu/chrp/sonography/DMS-Quotations.asp
This is a tragedy of American Medicine.
Terry J. DuBose
The URL in my earlier message leads to many good quotations about the sonographic profession, however, this link leads to Dr. Filly's remarks:
http://www.uams.edu/chrp/sonography/images/RoyFilly-onDMS-DU.wmv
Please listen to these. Thanks, Terry
Stephanie Nelson
As a RT-R, I think that passing this bill will save on costs for repeats of x-rays. Also for the ultrasound techs, they also help the radiologists "not officially" diagnos patients. It is rather sad that a hair dresser or even a nail tech has to show "competency" in what they do, but health care workers in radiation and non radiation can have "on the job training" without certification and it is accepted by, just a few states now. It is absurd when a LPN, RN, CNA, or even a secretary can take an x-ray, not knowing anything about radiation safety for people. Safety and care for our patients should start with this CARE bill and I feel that it should be passed.
C Brodnax CNMT, NCT, RT-R-CT
I am glad that there is beginning to be more patient education available, so that patients know to question the qualifications of the person performing their exam. The intent of this bill is not to shut down abortion clinics or keep workers in doctors offices from performing minimal exams, but to assure that they have basic training to perform these exams, for the safety of their patients. I am proud of my education and skills and would hope that anytime I or any of my family has to have diagnostic testing done that the person performing the exam knows what they are doing. This can only be accomplished by setting minimal standards for education and training. If you must have a license to fish, hunt, cut hair or do nails shouldn't you expect the same of someone using ionizing radiation on your body.
L Brizee-Parris RT-R, RN
As both a Rad Tech and RN, I see both sides. I agree that I only want properly educated people performing imaging studies especially those involving radiation. I have seen the results to patients of poorly performed exams done in clinics by those with limited licenses, which led to missed diagnoses. However as a vascular access nurse, routinely using ultrasound for PICC line placements, which was learned on the job, to take this away would adversely affect millions of patients across the country. We have been using ultrasound guidance for 10 years with only good results, in comparison to without. The various types of simple imaging studies that may be affected by this bill also need to be taken into account, for the benefit of all our patients.
SYLVIA WEBB
I LIVE EVERYDAY WITH THE DAMAGE NUCLEAR MEDICINE CAN DO WITH UNTRAINED PROFESSIONALS. I NEVER DREAMED OF ASKING FOR CREDENTIALS.I CHECKED OUT THE DR.'S. BUT NOT THE TECHNOLOGIST AT A RESULT MY HUSBAND RECEIVED MORE DAMAGE THAN SURVIVORS OF WWII.
HE LOST A JAW HE LOST HIS VOICE BOX
WHICH WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN RADIATED. HE HAS BOTH BLOOD SUPPLY FROM THE BREAST ATTACHED TO HIS JAW TO SAVE HIS JAW. A FLAP AS IT IS CALLED. HE LOST HIS TEETH AS THEY WERE CHIPPING OFF. IT HAS BEEN REALLY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO WATCH A LOVED ONE GO THROUGH THIS I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT HIS CHILDRED FEEL. IT WAS AT ONE OF OUR BEST HOSPITALS IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA
DO YOU THINK THE TECH NEW WHAT THEY
WERRE DOING. I DON'T THINK SO HIS THOAT WAS RAW LIKE HAMBURGER MEAT.
HE DR. SAID MY GOD WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THIS MAN. I DIDN'T ORDER THIS.