Credentialing in radiology: Current practice and future challenges

Table 1 Examples of credentialing in radiology across the world

Examples	Institute/country	Date
Brain PET/MRI	Joint statement: American College of Radiology and Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, United States[5]	2015
Cardiac CT	British Society of Cardiovascular Imaging, United Kingdom[26]	2011
Cardiovascular MRI	Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, United States[15,16]	2000, 2007
CT colonography	The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists, through the Abdominal Radiology Group of Australia and New Zealand[27]	2013
Interventional radiology	Interventional Radiology Society of Australasia, Australia and New Zealand[28]	2008
Screening mammograms	Mammography Quality and Standards Act Program, United States Food and Drug Administration[29]	2015
Training in catheter-directed intra-arterial stroke therapy	Society of Interventional Radiology, United States[7]	2009
Training in Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology	Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology training programme, United States[30]	2008, 2011, 2013
Ultrasound training standards	Royal College of Radiologists, United Kingdom[31]	2012

PET: Positron emission tomography; MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging; CT: Computed tomography.

Table 2 A complete case example of credentialing in radiology, from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists computed tomography colonography accreditation programme guidelines[27]

Modality/country and Institute	Credentialing requirements
CTC	Minimum of 60 CTC cases required by practitioner for independent performance:
RANZCR, through the Abdominal Radiology Group of Australia and New Zealand, 2013[27]	Cases should be worked up from raw data on a workstation by applicant 50 cases must be validated by surgery or endoscopy
	10 cases should be "live" where: Practitioner must be personally present for duration of examination
	Must be supervised by a recognised CTC radiologist
	Practitioner must be named on examination report as the co-reporting CTC trainee
	Form of evidence: RIS record ± logbook
	Case training can be acquired through the following:
	Hands-on workshops
	Abdominal imaging fellowships
	On-site training via the supervision of a CTC specialist
	Mentored electronic library cases
	On-going competency: To maintain CTC competency a minimum of 30 examinations per year must be interpreted
	All cases worked up by applicant from raw data on a workstation
	All cases must be recorded in RANZCR CTC logbook
	In their annual RANZCR CPD returns CTC specialists must declare whether they have completed their on-going requirements. Their declaration will be subject to random audit and CTC specialists may be asked to provide evidence to substantiate their logbook recordings
	Those who do not maintain competency requirements will be suspended from the register, until a logbook of 30 cases is submitted[27]

CTC: Computed tomography colonography; RANZCR: Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists; CPD: Continuing professional development; RIS: Radiology information system.