American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine Accreditation Program
AIUM accreditation for ultrasound imaging practices. Physics testing, quality control, and documentation to meet American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine standards.
Requirements
- Documented quality assurance testing of each ultrasound system at least annually, meeting or exceeding AIUM's routine quality assurance guidance
- The most recent QA report for each machine is submitted with the application
- A sonographer, physician, medical physicist or biomedical engineer trained in ultrasound QA procedures may perform the testing; a medical physicist is not required
- Personnel qualifications and case studies for each ultrasound practice area being accredited
Benefits
- Accreditation is available across a broad range of ultrasound practice areas, including obstetric, gynecologic, breast, thyroid and neck, abdominal, urologic and musculoskeletal ultrasound
- AIUM states that its accreditation meets the quality assurance requirements of a growing number of insurance companies
- Independent, documented phantom-based QA when a medical physicist performs the testing
Accreditation Process
- Submit the online application with uploaded documents and case studies
- AIUM reviewers score the submission
- AIUM may conduct an announced on-site, remote or virtual audit
Maintenance Requirements
- Reaccreditation is required every three years
- Documented QA testing at least annually
- Notify AIUM of personnel, practice name or location changes
What AIUM accredits
AIUM (the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine) accredits ultrasound practices in many practice areas, from obstetric and gynecologic to breast, thyroid, abdominal, urologic and musculoskeletal ultrasound, point-of-care ultrasound and ultrasound-guided procedures. Fetal echocardiography is included, but AIUM does not accredit vascular or adult echocardiography programs. AIUM is not among the CMS-recognized accrediting organizations for advanced diagnostic imaging.
What the quality assurance testing involves
Each ultrasound system must undergo documented quality assurance testing at least annually, and the most recent report for each machine is submitted with the application. AIUM's routine quality assurance guidance describes phantom-based, transducer and display checks. AIUM lets a trained sonographer, physician, medical physicist or biomedical engineer perform it and does not require a medical physicist, but a physicist can provide independent, documented testing.
How DRPS supports AIUM accreditation
DRPS medical physicists perform the annual ultrasound QA testing, document transducer and image quality results, and review output display practices that support ALARA. See our ultrasound physics testing service.
Go deeper
- Diagnostic Ultrasound QC: AAPM/ACR Program lists the full QC test set.
- Ultrasound Transducer QC: Dead Elements covers transducer element testing.
- Doppler Ultrasound QC: Flow and Velocity Testing covers Doppler checks.
- Ultrasound Thermal & Mechanical Index Safety covers TI, MI and ALARA.
Preparing for AIUM accreditation? Request a quote.