ACR Appropriateness Criteria Adds Topics, Covers More Clinical Variants Than Ever Before

Reston, VA — The newest release of ACR Appropriateness Criteria® covers 230 topics with more than 1,100 clinical indications.

These continuously reviewed evidence-based guidelines help health care providers choose the most appropriate medical imaging exam for a specific clinical condition. The latest update includes three new topics and five revised topics.

“For nearly 25 years, ACR Appropriateness Criteria have been refined and improved, providing standardized and effective care for patients,” said E. Kent Yucel, MD, FACR, chair of the ACR Committee on Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology Appropriateness Criteria. “They are valuable guidelines for improving patient outcomes,” he noted.

New topics

• Monitoring Response to Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy for Breast Cancer

• Penetrating Neck Injury

• Thoracic Aorta Interventional Planning and Follow-up

Revised topics

• Cranial Neuropathy

• Imaging After Total Knee Arthroplasty

• Radiologic Management of Iliac Artery Occlusive Disease

• Renovascular Hypertension

• Sinonasal Disease

The guidelines are specified appropriate use criteria (AUC) under the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) legislation and are developed by expert panels of radiologists and other doctors from relevant medical specialties. The American College of Radiology (ACR) is designated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a qualified Provider-Led Entity.  Medical providers may consult the ACR Appropriateness Criteria to fulfill PAMA requirements that they consult AUC prior to ordering advanced diagnostic imaging for Medicare patients.

For more information about ACR Appropriateness Criteria visit the ACR website. Learn more about ACR Select® provided by National Decision Support Company, which contains the digital content of the ACR Appropriateness Criteria. This platform can be integrated with computerized ordering or electronic health record (EHR) systems to guide providers when ordering medical imaging scans.