ACR releases updated Appropriateness Criteria

The American College of Radiology (ACR) has updated more than 30 Appropriateness Criteria, adding five topics and revising relative radiation level categories for diagnostic imaging exams in the latest version of the ACR Appropriateness Criteria.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria offer evidence-based guidelines to help healthcare providers choose the most appropriate medical imaging exam for a patient’s given clinical condition.

The five new topics include:

• Treatment of uterine leiomyomas (interventional radiology panel);
• Treatment of lower-extremity venous insufficiency (interventional radiology panel);
• Cranial neuropathy (neurologic imaging panel);
• Local-regional therapy for resectable oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (radiation oncology – head and neck panel); and
• Retreatment of recurrent head and neck cancer after prior definitive radiation (radiation oncology – head and neck panel).

This new release addresses more than 170 clinical topics and more than 800 variants and represents the most collaborative Appropriateness Criteria to date, bringing together 300 expert panelists, including 75 representatives from 20 medical societies, according to the ACR.

For more information about the ACR Appropriateness Criteria, including the Anytime, Anywhere application, visit www.acr.org/ac.