If you have an accredited PET facility and want to participate in the $100 million PET IDEAS study, now is the time to register. Registration opened October 28, 2015. To be eligible, you must be accredited by either the American College of Radiology (ACR), the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC), or RadSite.

Benefits of the PET IDEAS Study

Led by the Alzheimer’s Association and managed by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN), the Imaging Dementia – Evidence for Amyloid Scanning (IDEAS) Study is set to determine how clinically useful a brain positron emission tomography (PET) is in diagnosing Alzheimer’s and other dementias in certain situations.

A press release issued by the Alzheimer’s Association states: “Two abnormal structures called plaques and tangles are prime suspects in damaging and killing nerve cells in Alzheimer’s. The plaques are deposits of a protein fragment called amyloid-beta that build up in the spaces between nerve cells. Amyloid PET imaging represents a potential major advance in the clinical assessment of people with cognitive impairment. The technology makes amyloid plaques light up on a brain PET scan, enabling for the first time accurate detection of plaques in living people.”

The study will be led by Dr. Gil Rabinovici, assistant professor of neurology at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center, along with Dr. Bruce Hillner, from the department of internal medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Dr. Barry Siegel, chief of the division of nuclear medicine at Washington University in St. Louis.

The PET IDEAS study is in response to the 2013 decision by CMS to decline coverage for amyloid PET imaging scans for dementia and neurodegenerative disease. This study will address two specific aims:

  • To assess the impact of amyloid PET on the management of patients meeting appropriate use criteria (AUC).
  • To assess the impact of amyloid PET over 12 months on major medical outcomes, such as hospital admissions and emergency room visits in patients enrolled in the study compared to matched patients not in the study.

CMS will provide reimbursement to participating PET facilities for the costs associated with the PET Scans under the CMS coverage with evidence development (CED) policy, which requires research study participation as a condition of Medicare payment. In addition, the Alzheimer’s Association and a consortium of PET tracer manufacturers will provide additional funding to support the research infrastructure and analysis.

Requirements for Imaging Sites to Participate

In order to provide scans for the PET IDEAS Study, a PET facility must have experience in administering and interpreting brain PET. Preference will be given to sites with experience with amyloid PET. Participating PET facilities may be free standing or hospital-based. Free standing facilities must be accredited by either the ACR, the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC), or RadSite. Hospital-based facilities must be accredited by the Joint Commission, with or without additional accreditation by ACR, IAC or RadSite. The PET facility must document that it has experience performing brain PET, PET/CT or PET/MRI with one of the FDA-approved amyloid imaging agents, or with F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose, or with both. Participating radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians reading images must have completed vendor-provided reader training. To see the full text on requirements, click here.

RadSite Can Accredit Your Facility | PET IDEAS Study

RadSite is one of the accreditation agencies allowed for free standing or hospital-based facilities who wish to participate in the PET IDEAS Study. RadSite offers a comprehensive, affordable, quality-based accreditation program that evaluates providers on the basis of established industry standards and best practices. The RadSite MAP accreditation seal demonstrates to both patients and payers that a provider is a clear leader in imaging quality and patient safety. Reasons to select RadSite as your accreditation agency:

  • RadSite is a leading accreditation agency for diagnostic imaging quality and an official accrediting body as designated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
  • RadSite’s MIPPA Accreditation Program (MAP) is specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) of 2008. It requires all providers who bill CMS for CT, MRI, PET and SPECT procedures to be accredited by an approved accreditation organization.
  • Using RadSite for your accreditation guarantees that claims for any procedures on Medicare and Medicaid patients will be properly reimbursed.
  • The RadSite accreditation application can be completed entirely online. The intuitive, digital forms allow you to skip sections that don’t apply to you or your facility, making this an easy way to provide required information.
  • RadSite’s accreditation fees are some of the lowest in the industry, and application pricing is straightforward: a specific amount per machine with no additional hidden costs.

To begin a RadSite accreditation for your PET imaging center and learn how you can become a participant in the PET IDEAS study, contact us today!

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