Standards Changes for Providers of Diagnostic Imaging Services.

The Joint Commission recently approved the addition of two new Human Resources (HR) requirements for accredited hospitals, critical access hospitals, and ambulatory care organizations (including those that have achieved Advanced Diagnostic Imaging certification) that provide diagnostic imaging services. The new HR requirements address minimum qualifications for technologists providing computed tomography exams. The new requirements are effective September 1, 2016, along with revisions intended to clarify the intent of a Medical Staff (MS) requirement and a Provision of Care, Treatment, and Services (PC) requirement. The new and revised requirements will be displayed on The Joint Commission website at http://www.jointcommission.org/standards_information/pre publication_standards.aspx and posted in the spring E-dition® for the ambulatory care, critical access hospital, and hospital programs. The requirements will also appear in print this spring in the 2016 Update 1 to the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for the ambulatory care and hospital programs and this fall in the 2017 Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Critical Access Hospitals. New text (underlined) and deleted text (crossed out) are displayed in the box that begins below. For more information, please contact Joyce Webb, RN, BSN, MBA, CMPE, project director, Department of Standards and Survey Methods, The Joint Commission, at [email protected]. p