November 8, 2017 — In conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the International Center for Postgraduate Medical Education (ICPME) announced the certified webinar, "A Critical Mammography Inspection Update: The Impact of EQUIP," is available online for CME/CE credit. Attended by more than 2,900 breast center directors, lead interpreting physicians, interpreting physicians and radiologic technologists to date, the free one-hour recorded webinar is now available on the ICPME web page.
The EQUIP (Enhancing Quality Using the Inspection Program) initiative was launched by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2016 to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the passage of the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA). Accredited breast screening providers must now address three new questions to ensure compliance with regulations relating to quality assurance in the FDA's annual facility inspections, showing evidence of:
1. A corrective action system to address clinical images of poor quality;
2. A regular review of clinical images by each technologist and each interpreting physician including attributes such as positioning and compression; and
3. A procedure for oversight of QA/QC records and corrective actions.
The FDA recently released a six-month analysis of inspections performed between January and June of 2017. Of the more than 4,100 annual MQSA inspections performed, 44 percent had one or more EQUIP question shortcomings. The highest number of deficiencies was related to Question 2, regarding periodic image quality review. According to the FDA, while many facilities engage in daily feedback, few facilities have adequate quality control procedures and systems in place for ongoing review of image quality.
The ICPME EQUIP webinar was delivered by faculty member Bonnie Rush, RT(R)(M)(QM), a noted educator, consultant, lecturer and writer with long-term experience in regulatory compliance. The webinar was planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and International Center for Postgraduate Medical Education. The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. This webinar has been designated for 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) for physicians and for 1.0 hour of ARRT Category A continuing education credit.
The webinar was supported by an independent, educational grant from Volpara Solutions.
For more information: www.icpme.us
April 18, 2024 
