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News: IAC Releases Cardiovascular Catheterization Accreditation Program
January 2018
Working in concert, the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), the Alliance of Cardiovascular Professionals (ACVP), and the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) have announced the release of the IAC Cardiovascular Catheterization accreditation program. Representatives from these organizations, as well as pediatric cardiologist and nurse members-at-large, have developed standards and created the accreditation process. The program establishes quality metrics and provides a rigorous evaluation through clinical peer review of the facility’s processes, documentation and imaging critical to quality patient care as it relates to cardiovascular catheterization procedures.
The new program is designed to accredit facilities that perform cardiovascular catheterization procedures by ensuring that benchmarks for quality are met based on resources, training and outcomes.
Applicant facilities may apply for IAC Cardiovascular Catheterization accreditation in the following areas:
- Adult Diagnostic Catheterization
- Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)
- Valve Interventions
- Structural Heart Interventions
- Complex Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD)
- Pediatric Cardiovascular Catheterization
“SCAI encourages its members to explore the new IAC Cardiovascular Catheterization program. Through our work with IAC, the SCAI representatives on the IAC Board have worked diligently to create standards and an accreditation process that is equitable and provides a rigorous peer review of the components of quality in our field. The society is pleased to support the IAC program, one that has been built by and for those who specialize in cardiovascular interventional procedures,” said Kirk N. Garratt, MD, MSc, FSCAI, SCAI President.
Serving as the basis for the accreditation program, the IAC Standards and Guidelines for Cardiovascular Catheterization Accreditation is an extensive document defining the requirements for cardiovascular catheterization facilities to provide quality care. The Standards incorporate the SCAI Expert Consensus Statement for Best Practices in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and 45 additional evidence and quality-based guidance documents.
Published on the IAC Cardiovascular Catheterization website at https://www.intersocietal.org/cath/seeking/cath_standards.htm, the Standards are used by facilities as both a guideline and the foundation to create and achieve realistic quality care goals.
Cardiovascular catheterization facilities use IAC Online Accreditation to prepare and submit applications. IAC’s user-friendly, secure online application offers participating facilities the ability for multiple users to conveniently access their application data for completion and submission to the IAC for review. To learn more about how to get started or create an online account, please visit https://www.intersocietal.org/cath/seeking/getting_started.htm.
Mary Lally, IAC CEO, commented, “The IAC is pleased to offer a rigorous accreditation program developed by the leaders in the field of cardiovascular interventional procedures. It is an excellent complement to the IAC Cardiac Electrophysiology program that launched in 2016 and enables facilities to seek comprehensive accreditation for their full cardiovascular service line in both diagnostic and interventional offerings through the IAC.”
About the IAC
A nonprofit organization highly regarded for its accreditation programs since 1990, the IAC is committed to its mission of Improving health care through accreditation®, through a rigorous peer review process. The IAC provides accreditation programs for vascular testing, echocardiography, nuclear/PET, MRI, diagnostic CT, dental CT, carotid stenting, vein treatment and management, cardiac electrophysiology and cardiovascular catheterization. To date, the IAC accrediting divisions have granted accreditation to more than 14,000 sites throughout the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. IAC accreditation is widely respected within the medical community, as illustrated by the support of more than 40 medical societies. Varying per modality and practice setting, IAC accreditation is required in some U.S. states and regions, by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and by numerous private insurers. For more information, visit intersocietal.org.
