Establishing medical practice guidelines for your office promotes standardized care across providers. Just as you likely already follow guidelines, protocols or checklists for certain conditions and screenings, you also need guidelines for diagnostic exams, such as ultrasound imaging.
Ultrasound is rapidly gaining popularity due to its convenience and lower cost. Staying ahead of the curve by implementing ultrasound safety guidelines across your practice for the use, performance and interpretation of ultrasound keeps your practice at the forefront of medical technology and ensures greater safety for your patients. It also prepares you to expand this profitable service within your gynecology practice.
Why Establish Guidelines for Ultrasound Health and Safety?
In general, guidelines established by professional societies are based on current scientific evidence and best practices. They promote not only skill, but also standardization among all providers and sonographers in your practice.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) emphasizes the need for medical practice guidelines in the form of protocols and checklists because they are proven to reduce patient harm, improve communication and reduce adverse events. In addition to avoiding any safety issues with ultrasound, ACOG also encourages providers to implement their own safety guidelines and checklists so they have control over their practices. Without clear checklists, you may be subject to standards imposed by payers or government bodies, which may include components that aren't evidence-based.
Being out in front allows you to control the conversation, gain buy-in within your business and ensure that the guidelines you implement prioritize your patients' safety. As ultrasound becomes the first choice for diagnostic imaging in gynecology, you will be poised to safely grow this service for your practice and your patients.
Where to Find Ultrasound Safety Guidelines
It's a time commitment to research and determine what to implement at your practice, but you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Many reputable organizations already have evidence-based opinion statements and parameters that you can use. Below are a few of the most prominent.
- American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine: These parameters, which were developed with input from ACOG and multiple radiology professional societies, guide the practice of female pelvic ultrasound, sonohysterography and more. There are also video tutorials, many of which count toward continuing medical education credit. They include guidelines for when to use ultrasound, the personnel qualified to perform the scan and what to evaluate when performing the exam.
- American College of Radiology: ACR's guidelines feature practice parameters for specific ultrasound exams.
- British Medical Ultrasound Society: These detailed ultrasound guidelines cover safety, infection control, cultural issues, sonographer qualifications, documentation and image storage, as well as recommendations for performing the exam and interpreting results.
It takes time to implement specific guidelines on ultrasound health and safety, but once established, they only need to be updated every couple of years or in the wake of a major technological shift. This investment will likely be returned in due time as your practice becomes more efficient with standardization and improved communication.
