Vandalia Health CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital and CAMC Pediatric Cardiology have both been granted a three-year term of accreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) in Echocardiography in Pediatric and Congenital Transthoracic.
Accreditation by the IAC indicates that CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital has undergone an intensive application and review process and is found to be in compliance with the published Standards, thus demonstrating a commitment to quality patient care in echocardiography.
A noninvasive ultrasound study called an echocardiogram is commonly used to evaluate heart structure and function. Each year nearly 40,000 infants in the United States are born with a congenital heart defect, making it the most common type of birth defect.
Congenital heart defects are also the most critical, causing more deaths during the first year of life than any other birth defect. Over the past few decades, however, diagnosis and treatment have improved.
There are many factors that contribute to the accurate diagnosis based on echocardiography. The training and experience of the sonographer performing the procedure, the type of equipment used and the quality assessment metrics each facility is required to measure all contribute to a positive patient outcome. IAC accreditation is a “seal of approval” that patients can rely on as an indicator of consistent quality care and a commitment to continuous improvement.
Comprised of a detailed self-evaluation followed by a thorough review by a panel of medical experts, the IAC accreditation process enables both the critical operational and technical components of the applicant facility to be assessed, including representative case studies and their corresponding final reports.
The IAC evaluates and accredits facilities that provide diagnostic imaging and interventional-based procedures, thus improving the quality of patient care provided in private offices, clinics and hospitals where such services are performed.