Abstract
One of the ways the nuclear medicine community meets the challenge of managed health care is through participation in the Proficiency Testing Program (PTP) under the guidance of the American College of Nuclear Physicians (ACNP). This self-assessment program offers education opportunities to technologists and physicians, evaluates scintillation camera performance and offers techniques to optimize equipment efficiency and improve image quality. Subscriber PTP results have been instrumental in identifying areas where participants need additional information to maintain practice efficiency in nuclear medicine. The PTP is easy to participate in and is cost effective. It is the only nuclear medicine program available that provides a comprehensive assessment of quality using phantoms developed to simulate various clinical imaging situations that allow participants to compare their results with those of their peers.