Preparing and Submitting Accreditation Materials: Breast Ultrasound (Revised 2-26-2024)

Revision History

As of March 26, 2020, accreditation submission defaulted to upload for Breast Ultrasound accreditation. If you are unable to upload your images for accreditation, please call 1.800-227-6440 or submit a supportt ticket for further guidance. 

Log into the ACRedit database, fill out all required clinical data forms and submit the online testing package. 

Uploading your images

1. Correlating Mammogram – Upload the two view mammogram in original DICOM format. (Required) These images must include ROIs of the lesion being evaluated.

   1. If you are unable to produce the images with the required ROIs in the original DICOM format with all required labeling, you may also upload non-DICOM screen shots of the mammograms with the ROIs in addition to the DICOM images.

2. Sonogram images:

   1. DICOM format only.

   2. Only the requested images/frames.

   3. Do not submit additional images.

3. Once uploaded, check all images for adherence to accreditation criteria by clicking “view on the upload images page in your online testing package.

Film Submission

• Mammograms must be printed "true size" (i.e. without magnification or minification) or with a scale. If you minify the images to fit them all on 8x10 film and do not provide a scale, ACR reviewers will not be able to correlate the size of the cyst or mass on the ultrasound with the one on the ultrasound image. You may fail accreditation as a result.

• Submit original sonograms on film or high quality photographic paper. CDs are not accepted. Print each case on separate film/paper.

• Only print the requested images/frames.

• Print the documents generated by the online testing package by clicking "Print Forms for Submission" on the testing package page of your online account.

• Place appropriate labels on documents

• Place the appropriate label below each required image (e.g., the "Cyst Sono 1" label below the transverse sonogram image; the "Cyst Sono 2" label below the sagittal sonogram image.) If this is impossible due to insufficient room on the film, draw an arrow from the label to the image it is referencing. For labeling details, see the tables below.

• Do not cover any pertinent clinical or identification information on either the mammogram or the sonogram images. For example, you may cover the pectoralis muscle with the label as long as it does not cover any breast tissue.

• ACR only sends exam labels if the application indicated that the site performs that exam. If you receive labels for an exam your site does not perform, you must notify the ACR.

Breast Ultrasound Clinical Image Labels

Ultrasound Guided Breast Biopsy Clinical Image Labels

Mailing Instructions

For film submission, send the following to the address below:

• The Annual System Performance Evaluation (one per unit, containing the required QC testing information, manufacturer, model, and serial number of the unit tested and labeled with a Quality Control label for each unit).

• Exam Data form(s) (printed from your online testing package and appropriately labeled).

• Clinical images, appropriately labeled.

Please note that your accreditation submission contains HIPAA data, so we strongly recommend that you send your submission via traceable method with a signature required for delivery.

Your printed clinical images will be returned once the accreditation evaluation is complete. Submitted electronic images will be deleted from the ACR database after the accreditation process. Please maintain copies of all documents and images submitted to the ACR and record the name of those patients whose clinical images were sent for accreditation, until you receive official notification your accreditation was approved.

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