July 7, 2006—On Wednesday the American College of Radiology (ACR of Reston, Va) released the latest edition of its Appropriateness Criteria. The guidelines are designed to help referring physicians and providers make the best imaging or treatment decision for a clinical condition, and are based on the recommendations of panels of experts.
Guidelines are presented for more than 160 topics, covering a range of concentrations and subspecialties. The ACR has revised 30 topics since the last update in January, and has revised more than 110 topics in the past year. The next update is slated for January 2007.
“As imaging techniques increasingly replace more invasive procedures, ACR Appropriateness Criteria is an invaluable tool for physicians,” said ACR Executive Director Harvey L. Neiman, MD, FACR.
ACR Appropriateness Criteria are available on the ACR’s Web site free of charge for individual users. A PDA version is also available for a nominal fee.
—Cat Vasko
