FDA: 6 steps for women’s imaging centers after natural disaster

After a natural disaster, mammography facilities may face challenges in remaining compliant with the Mammography Quality Standards Act. The FDA has shared its recommendation for facilities damaged by a natural disaster.

According the FDA, damaged facilities should:

• Inform their accreditation body and state radiological health department of the situation as early as possible. Notify the organizations of any changes in the mammography system(s) or location.
• Inform the facility hotline of the situation and any changes in the mammography system(s) or location. (Call 1-800-838-7715, fax 1-410-290-6351 or email mqsahotline@hcmsllc.com).
• If the disaster will interfere with scheduled reaccreditation, request instructions from the accreditation body.
• Record the date range for lost or damaged facility records, patient records and mammogram films. Include the date(s) involved and the reasons for loss or damage.
• Consider notifying patients if patient records or mammogram films were lost or damaged.
• Contract with a medical physicist to evaluate any equipment that undergoes a major repair, is dissembled or reassembled, or is replaced. Equipment must pass the evaluation before it can be used to image patients. The FDA recommended facilities consider routine quality control to ensure proper equipment performance.