Characteristics of Nuclear Cardiology Laboratory Staffs (Physician and Technologist) Applying for IAC Nuclear/PET Accreditation, 2011–2014
Characteristic | All laboratories (n = 1,913) | Accreditation granted (n = 779) | Accreditation delayed (n = 1,134) | P |
Physician characteristics | ||||
Medical director years of experience (mean) | 17.47 (SD, 8.34) | 17.34 (SD, 8.36) | 17.55 (SD, 8.32) | 0.67 |
Medical director annual number of studies interpreted (mean) | 804.20 (SD, 1,273.8) | 746.46 (SD, 1,273.48) | 843.87 (SD, 1,273.07) | 0.06 |
Medical director with CBNC (n) | 1,107 (57.9%) | 491 (63.0%) | 616 (54.3%) | <0.001 |
Medical director who is cardiologist (n) | 1,330 (69.5%) | 564 (72.4%) | 766 (67.5%) | 0.02 |
Medical director compliant with CME (n) | 1,432 (74.9%) | 664 (85.2%) | 768 (67.7%) | <0.001 |
MPI volume per medical director (mean) | 475.79 (SD, 409.07) | 468.94 (SD, 416.16) | 485.75 (SD, 398.57) | 0.92 |
Number of medical staff (mean) | 3.18 (SD, 5.04) | 3.39 (SD, 5.49) | 3.03 (SD, 4.71) | 0.05 |
Number of CBNC staff (mean) | 1.37 (SD, 2.50) | 1.58 (SD, 2.85) | 1.22 (SD, 2.22) | <0.001 |
Number of medical staff CME-compliant (mean) | 2.36 (SD, 4.10) | 2.83 (SD, 4.73) | 2.05 (SD, 3.58) | <0.001 |
Technologist characteristics | ||||
Technical director years of experience (mean) | 19.21 (SD, 10.12) | 19.95 (SD, 10.20) | 18.71 (SD, 10.03) | 0.35 |
Number of technologists (mean) | 2.55 (SD, 2.85) | 2.64 (SD, 2.83) | 2.49 (SD, 2.87) | 0.43 |
Number of technical staff (mean) | 1.55 (SD, 2.85) | 1.64 (SD, 2.84) | 1.49 (SD, 2.87) | 0.43 |
Technical director compliant with CME (n) | 1,538 (80.4%) | 702 (90.1%) | 836 (73.7%) | <0.001 |
Number of technical staff CE-compliant (mean) | 1.26 (SD, 2.45) | 1.43 (SD, 2.57) | 1.14 (SD, 2.36) | 0.01 |
Technical director with PET or NCT plus CNMT or RT(N) (n) | 166 (8.7%) | 82 (10.5%) | 84 (7.40%) | 0.02 |
Technical director with (RT[R], RT[CT], or RT[MR]) plus CNMT or RT(N) (n) | 284 (14.8%) | 117 (15.0%) | 167 (14.7%) | 0.86 |