Modality: Mammography
Mammography physics testing and MQSA compliance support. Annual equipment evaluations, ACR mammography accreditation, image quality assessment, and quality control programs by certified medical physicists.
Key Features
- Annual performance evaluations
- MQSA compliance support
- Quality control testing
- Image quality optimization
- Staff training and education
Applications
- Screening mammography
- Diagnostic mammography
- Breast cancer detection
- Follow-up imaging
Benefits
- Early cancer detection
- Minimal radiation exposure
- High-resolution images
- Dose tracked against MQSA limits
What the annual mammography survey covers
The annual survey is the medical physicist's core MQSA responsibility. It includes:
- Mean glandular dose. Dose to the standard ACR phantom for a single craniocaudal view, which under MQSA must not exceed 3.0 mGy.
- Phantom image quality. Detection of fibers, specks and masses in the ACR phantom, scored against the unit's QC manual.
- Automatic exposure control and kVp reproducibility, along with the other test items in the manual the unit operates under.
- Related systems. Digital breast tomosynthesis units are included in the survey. Stereotactic breast biopsy units fall outside MQSA's definition of mammography and are evaluated separately, for example for ACR stereotactic accreditation.
- Report. A written survey report with a summary and recommendations, signed and dated by the physicist and delivered to the facility within 30 days.
Accreditation and regulatory drivers
Mammography is regulated differently from the rest of diagnostic imaging. It falls under MQSA (21 CFR Part 900), which the FDA enforces directly. A facility must be accredited by an FDA-approved body and certified by the FDA, or by an FDA-approved state certifying agency, to legally perform mammography. DRPS supports ACR mammography accreditation and the corrective actions that follow FDA EQUIP inspection findings.
Go deeper
- Mammography QC and MQSA: Annual Survey lists the survey test set.
- Mean Glandular Dose in Mammography explains how dose is calculated and limited.
- Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) QC covers tomosynthesis testing.
- Mammography AEC (Phototimer) Performance QC covers exposure control.
- ACR Digital Mammography Phantom QC covers phantom scoring.
Ready to schedule a survey? See our mammography physics and MQSA service or request a quote.