Medical imaging: evolution and quality standards
Although many patients still associate the imaging department of a hospital with the frontiers of medicine, the discipline is nearly 120 years old.
The effort to set quality standards for modern CT and MRI systems are inspired by experience with older imaging technologies, especially X-rays. In general, safety issues remain the focus for lawmakers, while recognized professional organisations ensure that quality control efforts remain up to date with ever-changing technologies. Top professional bodies usually function in such capacities under a legislative umbrella. For example, the American College of Radiology (ACR) has a mandate from the US Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA); it also seeks to ensure implementation of both safety and quality programs at the imaging facilities of accredited healthcare providers.
Roots in the 1890s
Medical imaging was born after the discovery of X-rays by German physicist Wilhelm R