Radiology, Vol 194, 373-377, Copyright © 1995 by Radiological Society of North America
Demographic characteristics of physicists who evaluate mammographic units
LN Rothenberg, JA Deye, MD High, NW Jessop and ES Sternick
Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021.
PURPOSE: To determine whether there will be an adequate number of
physicists to meet the 1996 American College of Radiology (ACR) Mammography
Accreditation Program requirements and assess the qualifications of
physicists available to evaluate mammography units as required by the
federal Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1992. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A
21-question survey prepared by the ACR was sent to most medical physicists
who perform evaluations of mammographic units. Replies were received from
1,011 individuals. RESULTS: Survey results are based on the replies of 824
individuals who indicated a willingness to perform evaluations in the
future. In 1996, there will be approximately 510 certified physicists to
evaluate an estimated 14,000 mammography units in the United States.
CONCLUSION: A sufficient number of certified diagnostic medical physicists
will be available to provide required annual performance evaluations of all
mammography units in the United States only if the number of units
evaluated per physicist increases substantially over current levels.
