ACR/ABR clinical statement on credentialing and privileging of radiologists for diagnostic nuclear medicine, including multimodality hybrid imaging.

Abstract

Processes for credentialing physicians and criteria for delineating their practice-specific clinical privileges vary widely across the United States. The ACR and the ABR have jointly developed this resource document to define the requisite credentials for board-certified radiologists to be privileged to practice the full gamut of diagnostic nuclear medicine, including multimodality hybrid imaging. Through its initial certification of radiologists and maintenance of certification programs for practicing certificate holders, the ABR assesses the competence and ensures excellence of its professional diplomates for clinical practice. On the basis of their education, training, and clinical work experience, board-certified radiologists are imminently qualified to supervise, interpret, and report all diagnostic nuclear medicine studies, including radionuclide cardiovascular imaging, and uniquely so for all radionuclide-based, multimodality hybrid examinations. Optimum patient care is best served by an imaging physician with training and expertise in applying, interpreting, and correlating a broad spectrum of these diagnostic technologies.