MAMMOGRAPHY QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAMS

A quality assurance program is an integral part of a department of rad iology, but certain examinations require a more specialized approach t han others. The need for greater quality control in mammography was re cognized by the American College of Radiology in 1987. The voluntary p rogram developed by this organization has greatly improved the overall quality of mammography in almost three fourths of the facilities in t his country. The principles of this initiative now have been adopted b y various state and federal agencies, but a uniform approach has not y et been finalized. Optimally, the best aspects of all of these program s will be integrated, resulting in satisfactory image quality, accepta ble dosimetry, and an appropriate level of interpretive accuracy in al l mammography installations.