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| Congresswoman Wilson Offers Bill To Ensure Patients Receive High Quality Radiologic Exams |
March 13, 2001 |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congresswoman Heather Wilson, R-N.M., today introduced a bill in the House of Representatives designed to ensure that health care professionals performing x-rays, CT scans and other radiologic therapy are highly trained.
Under current law, basic training standards are voluntary, which allows individuals to perform radiologic procedures without any formal education and sometimes after only a few weeks of on-the-job training.
“Most Americans assume that the person taking their x-ray, performing their CT scan or delivering their radiation therapy is a qualified professional,” said Wilson. “This legislation will ensure that the people performing radiologic examinations are qualified.”
Congresswoman Wilson’s bill, titled the Consumer Assurance of Radiologic Excellence (CARE) bill, directs (name of agency) to establish educational and credentialing standards for personnel who plan and deliver radiation therapy and perform all types of diagnostic imaging procedures except medical ultrasound. States would be required to meet the federal minimum standards or risk losing Medicaid reimbursement for radiologic procedures.
The CARE bill would amend the Consumer-Patient Radiation Health and Safety Act, a 1981 law that established minimum standards for the education and credentialing of radiologic technologists. Because compliance with the 1981 Act is voluntary, only 35 states have enacted licensure laws for radiographers, only 28 states license radiation therapists, and only 21 states license nuclear medicine technologists. In states where no licensure exists, individuals are permitted to perform radiologic procedures without any formal education and sometimes after only a few weeks of on-the-job training.
“The safety and quality of radiologic procedures is an issue that affects all of us,” said Michael DelVecchio, president of the American Society of Radiologic Technologists, an organization that represents more than 88,000 medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals. “Every year, seven out of 10 Americans undergo some type of radiologic examination. The CARE bill will help ensure that those examinations are performed by people who are trained, qualified and competent.”
“The lack of uniform standards nationwide for operators of medical imaging and radiation therapy equipment represents a little known risk to patients,” said Wilson. “Accurate diagnosis and effective treatment can be provided only when personnel are properly educated in anatomy, technique, equipment operation and radiation safety.”
“Not only will uniform standards guarantee higher quality images, it will also help reduce patients’ exposure to radiation,” she said. “High quality diagnostic information is critical to ensuring that patients receive the proper diagnosis, treatment and cure.”
The CARE bill previously was introduced late in the 106th session of Congress by Rep. Rick Lazio, R-N.Y.
Rep. Wilson serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over public health, finance, telecommunications and energy issues. She serves on the Health subcommittee which has jurisdiction over this issue.
The CARE bill is backed by the Alliance for Quality Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, a coalition of 15 radiologic science organizations that represents more than 250,000 health care professionals. It also has support from a number of patient groups and health care organizations, including the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association’s Council on Cardiovascular Radiology, the Cancer Research Foundation of America and the American College of Radiology.
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