ACR Expands First-of-Its-Kind Patient-Friendly Appropriateness Criteria Summary Resource

RESTON, Va., March 8, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR) released six new patient-friendly summaries of the ACR Appropriateness Criteria (AC) this month.

The new AC patient summaries are less than 250 words, written in language that is easily understood by those with little or no medical experience or training, and based on input from an expert panel of providers from different medical specialties.

The ACR Appropriateness Criteria® (AC) are comprised of about 300 evidence-based guidelines, created and continually updated by multidisciplinary teams of expert physicians to help providers make the most appropriate diagnostic imaging and image-guided treatment decisions for specific clinical conditions.  

"These patient-friendly summaries empower patients to more fully participate in their care, and are already strengthening the doctor-patient relationship," said Bruce J. Hillman, MD, FACR, JACR Editor-In Chief. "They also help ordering physicians and radiologists better communicate the reason they are requesting, or performing, a particular imaging test."

The new AC patient summaries are part of a larger, first-of-its-kind effort by the ACR to provide more patient- and family-centered radiology care. Enabling such medical guidelines to be "translated" and easily understood and used by patients will further the ACR's progress towards this goal.

The first patient-friendly summary, released in January, explained the AC for acute chest-pain?suspected pulmonary embolism. The five released most recently address the AC for headache, routine chest radiology, sinonasal disease, low back pain, asymptomatic patient at risk for coronary artery disease and acute onset flank pain ? suspicion of stone disease (Urolithiasis). The ACR anticipates releasing additional patient-friendly summaries in the months to come.

SOURCE American College of Radiology