How to Maintain Your Radiology CME Requirements

Your Radiology CME Requirements and How to Meet Them

Today’s radiologist requires continuing medical education (CME) to remain current with the newest advances in the industry, but they also need to maintain credits to meet two important regulatory requirements. One is important to maintain certification and the other is key to insurance reimbursement. Here is a succinct analysis of these requirements.

Radiologist certification is governed by the American Board of Radiology (ABR). In order to maintain this certification, physicians must complete 75 AMA PRA Category I Credits™ every three years (read AMA PRA F.A.Q.). Of these 75 credits, 25 must be a specific type of education, known as “Self-Assessment CME” (SA-CME). All credits for all Meetings By Mail enduring material activities count as SA-CME, with hundreds available. As such, radiologists can meet their all of their ABR Maintenance of Certification requirements by completing a few Meetings By Mail programs.

Additionally, under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA), nonhospital providers of advanced imaging services such as Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance (MR) must be accredited in order to receive Medicare reimbursement. Accrediting organizations such as the American College of Radiology (ACR), require at least 15 hours of CME in MR and CT. Meetings By Mail programs contain enough CT and MR hours to meet both requirements for ACR accreditation. Therefore, completion of Meetings By Mail activities will help Radiologists qualify Medicare reimbursement! Many insurance companies have similar requirements, and Meetings By Mail programs help meet them as well.

How to Maintain Your Radiology Board Certification

Radiologist certification is governed by the American Board of Radiology (ABR). In order to maintain this certification, these physicians must complete 75 AMA PRA Category I Credits™ every three years. Of these 75 credits, 25 must be a specific type of education, known as “Self-Assessment CME” (SA-CME). All credits for all Meetings By Mail enduring material activities count as SA-CME, with hundreds available. As such, radiologists can meet their all of their ABR Maintenance of Certification requirements by completing a few Meetings By Mail programs.

Breast Imaging CME Requirements for the MQSA

The Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) was enacted by the United States Congress to regulate the quality of care in mammography. Physicians and all healthcare professionals involved in breast imaging are federally required to meet the standards set by the MQSA.

Continuing Medical Education in breast imaging is one of the many areas governed by the MQSA. This law states that breast imaging physicians must complete at least 15 AMA PRA Category I Credits™ in mammography every three years. This training shall include at least six category I CME credits in each mammographic modality used by the physician in his or her practice. Examples of modalities include digital mammography, breast MR and breast ultrasound.

Meetings By Mail programs can meet all MQSA CME requirements. In addition to the 15 AMA PRA Category I Credit™ total, Meetings By Mail activities can meet the 6 hour requirement for every modality listed above. Breast imagers have used Meetings By Mail products to meet all of their MQSA CME requirements for over a decade.

About Meetings By Mail

Meetings By Mail produces the highest quality enduring materials available for Radiology CME, Cardiology CME and Nuclear Medicine CME. For 25 years they have collaborated with elite content providers such as Duke Radiology, Cleveland Clinic, Penn Radiology and the SCBT-MR to create thousands of fully accredited hours for medical professionals. Their online streaming and DVD-ROM products meet CME requirements for maintenance of certification.