21 C.F.R. Subpart A—Accreditation
Title 21 - Food and Drugs
The regulations set forth in this part implement the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) (42 U.S.C. 263b). Subpart A of this part establishes procedures whereby an entity can apply to become a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved accreditation body to accredit facilities to be eligible to perform screening or diagnostic mammography services. Subpart A further establishes requirements and standards for accreditation bodies to ensure that all mammography facilities under the jurisdiction of the United States are adequately and consistently evaluated for compliance with national quality standards for mammography. Subpart B of this part establishes minimum national quality standards for mammography facilities to ensure safe, reliable, and accurate mammography. The regulations set forth in this part do not apply to facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The following definitions apply to subparts A, B, and C of this part: (a) Accreditation body or body means an entity that has been approved by FDA under §900.3(d) to accredit mammography facilities. (b) Action limits or action levels means the minimum and maximum values of a quality assurance measurement that can be interpreted as representing acceptable performance with respect to the parameter being tested. Values less than the minimum or greater than the maximum action limit or level indicate that corrective action must be taken by the facility. Action limits or levels are also sometimes called control limits or levels. (c) Adverse event means an undesirable experience associated with mammography activities within the scope of 42 U.S.C. 263b. Adverse events include but are not limited to: (1) Poor image quality; (2) Failure to send mammography reports within 30 days to the referring physician or in a timely manner to the self-referred patient; and (3) Use of personnel that do not meet the applicable requirements of §900.12(a). (d) Air kerma means kerma in a given mass of air. The unit used to measure the quantity of air kerma is the Gray (Gy). For X-rays with energies less than 300 kiloelectron volts (keV), 1 Gy = 100 rad. In air, 1 Gy of absorbed dose is delivered by 114 roentgens (R) of exposure. (e) Breast implant means a prosthetic device implanted in the breast. (f) Calendar quarter means any one of the following time periods during a given year: January 1 through March 31, April 1 through June 30, July 1 through September 30, or October 1 through December 31. (g) Category I means medical educational activities that have been designated as Category I by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), a state medical society, or an equivalent organization. (h) Certificate means the certificate described in §900.11(a). (i) Certification means the process of approval of a facility by FDA or a certification agency to provide mammography services. (j) Clinical image means a mammogram. (k) Consumer means an individual who chooses to comment or complain in reference to a mammography examination, including the patient or representative of the patient (e.g., family member or referring physician). (l) Continuing education unit or continuing education credit means one contact hour of training. (m) Contact hour means an hour of training received through direct instruction. (n) Direct instruction means: (1) Face-to-face interaction between instructor(s) and student(s), as when the instructor provides a lecture, conducts demonstrations, or reviews student performance; or (2) The administration and correction of student examinations by an instructor(s) with subsequent feedback to the student(s). (o) Direct supervision means that: (1) During joint interpretation of mammograms, the supervising interpreting physician reviews, discusses, and confirms the diagnosis of the physician being supervised and signs the resulting report before it is entered into the patient's records; or (2) During the performance of a mammography examination or survey of the facility's equipment and quality assurance program, the supervisor is present to observe and correct, as needed, the performance of the individual being supervised who is performing the examination or conducting the survey. (p) Established operating level means the value of a particular quality assurance parameter that has been established as an acceptable normal level by the facility's quality assurance program. (q) Facility means a hospital, outpatient department, clinic, radiology practice, mobile unit, office of a physician, or other facility that conducts mammography activities, including the following: Operation of equipment to produce a mammogram, processing of the mammogram, initial interpretation of the mammogram, and maintaining viewing conditions for that interpretation. This term does not include a facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs. (r) First allowable time means the earliest time a resident physician is eligible to take the diagnostic radiology boards from an FDA-designated certifying body. The “first allowable time” may vary with the certifying body. (s) FDA means the Food and Drug Administration. (t) Interim regulations means the regulations entitled “Requirements for Accrediting Bodies of Mammography Facilities” (58 FR 67558–67565) and “Quality Standards and Certification Requirements for Mammography Facilities” (58 FR 67565–67572), published by FDA on December 21, 1993, and amended on September 30, 1994 (59 FR 49808–49813). These regulations established the standards that had to be met by mammography facilities in order to lawfully operate between October 1, 1994, and April 28, 1999. (u) Interpreting physician means a licensed physician who interprets mammograms and who meets the requirements set forth in §900.12(a)(1). (v) Kerma means the sum of the initial energies of all the charged particles liberated by uncharged ionizing particles in a material of given mass. (w) Laterality means the designation of either the right or left breast. (x) Lead interpreting physician means the interpreting physician assigned the general responsibility for ensuring that a facility's quality assurance program meets all of the requirements of §900.12(d) through (f). The administrative title and other supervisory responsibilities of the individual, if any, are left to the discretion of the facility. (y) Mammogram means a radiographic image produced through mammography. (z) Mammographic modality means a technology, within the scope of 42 U.S.C. 263b, for radiography of the breast. Examples are screen-film mammography and xeromammography. (aa) Mammography means radiography of the breast, but, for the purposes of this part, does not include: (1) Radiography of the breast performed during invasive interventions for localization or biopsy procedures; or (2) Radiography of the breast performed with an investigational mammography device as part of a scientific study conducted in accordance with FDA's investigational device exemption regulations in part 812 of this chapter. (bb) Mammography equipment evaluation means an onsite assessment of mammography unit or image processor performance by a medical physicist for the purpose of making a preliminary determination as to whether the equipment meets all of the applicable standards in §900.12(b) and (e). (cc) Mammography medical outcomes audit means a systematic collection of mammography results and the comparison of those results with outcomes data. (dd) Mammography unit or units means an assemblage of components for the production of X-rays for use during mammography, including, at a minimum: An X-ray generator, an X-ray control, a tube housing assembly, a beam limiting device, and the supporting structures for these components. (ee) Mean optical density means the average of the optical densities measured using phantom thicknesses of 2, 4, and 6 centimeters with values of kilovolt peak (kVp) clinically appropriate for those thicknesses. (ff) Medical physicist means a person trained in evaluating the performance of mammography equipment and facility quality assurance programs and who meets the qualifications for a medical physicist set forth in §900.12(a)(3). (gg) MQSA means the Mammography Quality Standards Act. (hh) Multi-reading means two or more physicians, at least one of whom is an interpreting physician, interpreting the same mammogram. (ii) Patient means any individual who undergoes a mammography evaluation in a facility, regardless of whether the person is referred by a physician or is self-referred. (jj) Phantom means a test object used to simulate radiographic characteristics of compressed breast tissue and containing components that radiographically model aspects of breast disease and cancer. (kk) Phantom image means a radiographic image of a phantom. (ll) Physical science means physics, chemistry, radiation science (including medical physics and health physics), and engineering. (mm) Positive mammogram means a mammogram that has an overall assessment of findings that are either “suspicious” or “highly suggestive of malignancy.” (nn) Provisional certificate means the provisional certificate described in §900.11(b)(2). (oo) Qualified instructor means an individual whose training and experience adequately prepares him or her to carry out specified training assignments. Interpreting physicians, radiologic technologists, or medical physicists who meet the requirements of §900.12(a) would be considered qualified instructors in their respective areas of mammography. Other examples of individuals who may be qualified instructors for the purpose of providing training to meet the regulations of this part include, but are not limited to, instructors in a post-high school training institution and manufacturer's representatives. (pp) Quality control technologist means an individual meeting the requirements of §900.12(a)(2) who is responsible for those quality assurance responsibilities not assigned to the lead interpreting physician or to the medical physicist. (qq) Radiographic equipment means X-ray equipment used for the production of static X-ray images. (rr) Radiologic technologist means an individual specifically trained in the use of radiographic equipment and the positioning of patients for radiographic examinations and who meets the requirements set forth in §900.12(a)(2). (ss) Serious adverse event means an adverse advent that may significantly compromise clinical outcomes, or an adverse event for which a facility fails to take appropriate corrective action in a timely manner. (tt) Serious complaint means a report of a serious adverse event. (uu) Standard breast means a 4.2 centimeter (cm) thick compressed breast consisting of 50 percent glandular and 50 percent adipose tissue. (vv) Survey means an onsite physics consultation and evaluation of a facility quality assurance program performed by a medical physicist. (ww) Time cycle means the film development time. (xx) Traceable to a national standard means an instrument is calibrated at either the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) or at a calibration laboratory that participates in a proficiency program with NIST at least once every 2 years and the results of the proficiency test conducted within 24 months of calibration show agreement within ±3 percent of the national standard in the mammography energy range. (yy) Review physician means a physician who, by meeting the requirements set out in §900.4(c)(5), is qualified to review clinical images on behalf of the accreditation body. (zz) Certification agency means a State that has been approved by FDA under §900.21 to certify mammography facilities. (aaa) Performance indicators mean the measures used to evaluate the certification agency's ability to conduct certification, inspection, and compliance activities. (bbb) Authorization means obtaining approval from FDA to utilize new or changed State regulations or procedures during the issuance, maintenance, and withdrawal of certificates by the certification agency. [62 FR 55976, Oct. 28, 1997; 62 FR 60614, Nov. 10, 1997, as amended at 63 FR 56558, Oct. 22, 1998; 64 FR 32407, June 17, 1999; 67 FR 5467, Feb. 6, 2002] (a) Eligibility. Private nonprofit organizations or State agencies capable of meeting the requirements of this subpart A may apply for approval as accreditation bodies. (b) Application for initial approval. (1) An applicant seeking initial FDA approval as an accreditation body shall inform the Division of Mammography Quality and Radiation Programs (DMQRP), Center for Devices and Radiology Health (HFZ–240), Food and Drug Administration, 1350 Piccard Dr., Rockville, MD 20850, marked Attn: Mammography Standards Branch, of its desire to be approved as an accreditation body and of its requested scope of authority. (2) Following receipt of the request, FDA will provide the applicant with additional information to aid in submission of an application for approval as an accreditation body. (3) The applicant shall furnish to FDA, at the address in §900.3(b)(1), three copies of an application containing the following information, materials, and supporting documentation: (i) Name, address, and phone number of the applicant and, if the applicant is not a State agency, evidence of nonprofit status (i.e., of fulfilling Internal Revenue Service requirements as a nonprofit organization); (ii) Detailed description of the accreditation standards the applicant will require facilities to meet and a discussion substantiating their equivalence to FDA standards required under §900.12; (iii) Detailed description of the applicant's accreditation review and decisionmaking process, including: (A) Procedures for performing accreditation and reaccreditation clinical image review in accordance with §900.4(c), random clinical image reviews in accordance with §900.4(f), and additional mammography review in accordance with §900.12(j); (B) Procedures for performing phantom image review; (C) Procedures for assessing mammography equipment evaluations and surveys; (D) Procedures for initiating and performing onsite visits to facilities; (E) Procedures for assessing facility personnel qualifications; (F) Copies of the accreditation application forms, guidelines, instructions, and other materials the applicant will send to facilities during the accreditation process, including an accreditation history form that requires each facility to provide a complete history of prior accreditation activities and a statement that all information and data submitted in the application is true and accurate, and that no material fact has been omitted; (G) Policies and procedures for notifying facilities of deficiencies; (H) Procedures for monitoring corrections of deficiencies by facilities; (I) Policies and procedures for suspending or revoking a facility's accreditation; (J) Policies and procedures that will ensure processing of accreditation applications and renewals within a timeframe approved by FDA and assurances that the body will adhere to such policies and procedures; and (K) A description of the applicant's appeals process for facilities contesting adverse accreditation status decisions. (iv) Education, experience, and training requirements for the applicant's professional staff, including reviewers of clinical or phantom images; (v) Description of the applicant's electronic data management and analysis system with respect to accreditation review and decision processes and the applicant's ability to provide electronic data in a format compatible with FDA data systems; (vi) Resource analysis that demonstrates that the applicant's staffing, funding, and other resources are adequate to perform the required accreditation activities; (vii) Fee schedules with supporting cost data; (viii) Statement of policies and procedures established to avoid conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflicts of interest by the applicant's board members, commissioners, professional personnel (including reviewers of clinical and phantom images), consultants, administrative personnel, and other representatives of the applicant; (ix) Statement of policies and procedures established to protect confidential information the applicant will collect or receive in its role as an accreditation body; (x) Disclosure of any specific brand of imaging system or component, measuring device, software package, or other commercial product used in mammography that the applicant develops, sells, or distributes; (xi) Description of the applicant's consumer complaint mechanism; (xii) Satisfactory assurances that the applicant shall comply with the requirements of §900.4; and (xiii) Any other information as may be required by FDA. (c) Application for renewal of approval. An approved accreditation body that intends to continue to serve as an accreditation body beyond its current term shall apply to FDA for renewal or notify FDA of its plans not to apply for renewal in accordance with the following procedures and schedule: (1) At least 9 months before the date of expiration of a body's approval, the body shall inform FDA, at the address given in §900.3(b)(1), of its intent to seek renewal. (2) FDA will notify the applicant of the relevant information, materials, and supporting documentation required under §900.3(b)(3) that the applicant shall submit as part of the renewal procedure. (3) At least 6 months before the date of expiration of a body's approval, the applicant shall furnish to FDA, at the address in §900.3(b)(1), three copies of a renewal application containing the information, materials, and supporting documentation requested by FDA in accordance with §900.3(c)(2). (4) No later than July 28, 1998, any accreditation body approved under the interim regulations published in the (5) Any accreditation body that does not plan to renew its approval shall so notify FDA at the address given in paragraph (b)(1) of this section at least 9 months before the expiration of the body's term of approval. (d) Rulings on applications for initial and renewed approval. (1) FDA will conduct a review and evaluation to determine whether the applicant substantially meets the applicable requirements of this subpart and whether the accreditation standards the applicant will require facilities to meet are substantially the same as the quality standards published under subpart B of this part. (2) FDA will notify the applicant of any deficiencies in the application and request that those deficiencies be rectified within a specified time period. If the deficiencies are not rectified to FDA's satisfaction within the specified time period, the application for approval as an accreditation body may be rejected. (3) FDA shall notify the applicant whether the application has been approved or denied. That notification shall list any conditions associated with approval or state the bases for any denial. (4) The review of any application may include a meeting between FDA and representatives of the applicant at a time and location mutually acceptable to FDA and the applicant. (5) FDA will advise the applicant of the circumstances under which a denied application may be resubmitted. (6) If FDA does not reach a final decision on a renewal application in accordance with this paragraph before the expiration of an accreditation body's current term of approval, the approval will be deemed extended until the agency reaches a final decision on the application, unless an accreditation body does not rectify deficiencies in the application within the specified time period, as required in paragraph (d)(2) of this section. (e) Relinquishment of authority. An accreditation body that decides to relinquish its accreditation authority before expiration of the body's term of approval shall submit a letter of such intent to FDA, at the address in §900.3(b)(1), at least 9 months before relinquishing such authority. (f) Transfer of records. An accreditation body that does not apply for renewal of accreditation body approval, is denied such approval by FDA, or relinquishes its accreditation authority and duties before expiration of its term of approval, shall: (1) Transfer facility records and other related information as required by FDA to a location and according to a schedule approved by FDA. (2) Notify, in a manner and time period approved by FDA, all facilities accredited or seeking accreditation by the body that the body will no longer have accreditation authority. (g) Scope of authority. An accreditation body's term of approval is for a period not to exceed 7 years. FDA may limit the scope of accreditation authority. [62 FR 55976, Oct. 28, 1997; 62 FR 60614, Nov. 10, 1997] (a) Code of conduct and general responsibilities. The accreditation body shall accept the following responsibilities in order to ensure safe and accurate mammography at the facilities it accredits and shall perform these responsibilities in a manner that ensures the integrity and impartiality of accreditation body actions. (1)(i) When an accreditation body receives or discovers information that suggests inadequate image quality, or upon request by FDA, the accreditation body shall review a facility's clinical images or other aspects of a facility's practice to assist FDA in determining whether or not the facility's practice poses a serious risk to human health. Such reviews are in addition to the evaluation an accreditation body performs as part of the initial accreditation or renewal process for facilities. (ii) If review by the accreditation body demonstrates that a problem does exist with respect to image quality or other aspects of a facility's compliance with quality standards, or upon request by FDA, the accreditation body shall require or monitor corrective actions, or suspend or revoke accreditation of the facility. (2) The accreditation body shall inform FDA as soon as possible but in no case longer than 2 business days after becoming aware of equipment or practices that pose a serious risk to human health. (3) The accreditation body shall establish and administer a quality assurance (QA) program that has been approved by FDA in accordance with §900.3(d) or paragraph (a)(8) of this section. Such quality assurance program shall: (i) Include requirements for clinical image review and phantom image review; (ii) Ensure that clinical and phantom images are evaluated consistently and accurately; and (iii) Specify the methods and frequency of training and evaluation for clinical and phantom image reviewers, and the bases and procedures for removal of such reviewers. (4) The accreditation body shall establish measures that FDA has approved in accordance with §900.3(d) or paragraph (a)(8) of this section to reduce the possibility of conflict of interest or facility bias on the part of individuals acting on the body's behalf. Such individuals who review clinical or phantom images under the provisions of paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section or who visit facilities under the provisions of paragraph (f) of this section shall not review clinical or phantom images from or visit a facility with which such individuals maintain a relationship, or when it would otherwise be a conflict of interest for them to do so, or when they have a bias in favor of or against the facility. (5) The accreditation body may require specific equipment performance or design characteristics that FDA has approved. However, no accreditation body shall require, either explicitly or implicitly, the use of any specific brand of imaging system or component, measuring device, software package, or other commercial product as a condition for accreditation by the body, unless FDA determines that it is in the best interest of public health to do so. (i) Any representation, actual or implied, either orally, in sales literature, or in any other form of representation, that the purchase or use of a particular product brand is required in order for any facility to be accredited or certified under §900.11(b), is prohibited, unless FDA approves such representation. (ii) Unless FDA has approved the exclusive use and promotion of a particular commercial product in accordance with this section, all products produced, distributed, or sold by an accreditation body or an organization that has a financial or other relationship with the accreditation body that may be a conflict of interest or have the appearance of a conflict of interest with the body's accreditation functions, shall bear a disclaimer stating that the purchase or use of such products is not required for accreditation or certification of any facility under §900.11(b). Any representations about such products shall include a similar disclaimer. (6) When an accreditation body denies accreditation to a facility, the accreditation body shall notify the facility in writing and explain the bases for its decision. The notification shall also describe the appeals process available from the accreditation body for the facility to contest the decision. (7) No accreditation body may establish requirements that preclude facilities from being accredited under §900.11(b) by any other accreditation body, or require accreditation by itself under MQSA if another accreditation body is available to a facility. (8) The accreditation body shall obtain FDA authorization for any changes it proposes to make in any standards that FDA has previously accepted under §900.3(d). (9) An accreditation body shall establish procedures to protect confidential information it collects or receives in its role as an accreditation body. (i) Nonpublic information collected from facilities for the purpose of carrying out accreditation body responsibilities shall not be used for any other purpose or disclosed, other than to FDA or its duly designated representatives, including State agencies, without the consent of the facility; (ii) Nonpublic information that FDA or its duly designated representatives, including State agencies, share with the accreditation body concerning a facility that is accredited or undergoing accreditation by that body shall not be further disclosed except with the written permission of FDA. (b) Monitoring facility compliance with quality standards. (1) The accreditation body shall require that each facility it accredits meet standards for the performance of quality mammography that are substantially the same as those in this subpart and in subpart B of this part. (2) The accreditation body shall notify a facility regarding equipment, personnel, and other aspects of the facility's practice that do not meet such standards and advise the facility that such equipment, personnel, or other aspects of the practice should not be used by the facility for activities within the scope of part 900. (3) The accreditation body shall specify the actions that facilities shall take to correct deficiencies in equipment, personnel, and other aspects of the practice to ensure facility compliance with applicable standards. (4) If deficiencies cannot be corrected to ensure compliance with standards or if a facility is unwilling to take corrective actions, the accreditation body shall immediately so notify FDA, and shall suspend or revoke the facility's accreditation in accordance with the policies and procedures described under §900.3(b)(3)(iii)(I). (c) Clinical image review for accreditation and reaccreditation—(1) Frequency of review. The accreditation body shall review clinical images from each facility accredited by the body at least once every 3 years. (2) Requirements for clinical image attributes. The accreditation body shall use the following attributes for all clinical image reviews, unless FDA has approved other attributes: (i) Positioning. Sufficient breast tissue shall be imaged to ensure that cancers are not likely to be missed because of inadequate positioning. (ii) Compression. Compression shall be applied in a manner that minimizes the potential obscuring effect of overlying breast tissue and motion artifact. (iii) Exposure level. Exposure level shall be adequate to visualize breast structures. Images shall be neither underexposed nor overexposed. (iv) Contrast. Image contrast shall permit differentiation of subtle tissue density differences. (v) Sharpness. Margins of normal breast structures shall be distinct and not blurred. (vi) Noise. Noise in the image shall not obscure breast structures or suggest the appearance of structures not actually present. (vii) Artifacts. Artifacts due to lint, processing, scratches, and other factors external to the breast shall not obscure breast structures or suggest the appearance of structures not actually present. (viii) Examination identification. Each image shall have the following information indicated on it in a permanent, legible, and unambiguous manner and placed so as not to obscure anatomic structures: (A) Name of the patient and an additional patient identifier. (B) Date of examination. (C) View and laterality. This information shall be placed on the image in a position near the axilla. Standardized codes specified by the accreditation body and approved by FDA in accordance with §900.3(d) or paragraph (a)(8) of this section shall be used to identify view and laterality. (D) Facility name and location. At a minimum, the location shall include the city, State, and zip code of the facility. (E) Technologist identification. (F) Cassette/screen identification. (G) Mammography unit identification, if there is more than one unit in the facility. (3) Scoring of clinical images. Accreditation bodies shall establish and administer a system for scoring clinical images using all attributes specified in paragraphs (c)(2)(i) through (c)(2)(viii) of this section or an alternative system that FDA has approved in accordance with §900.3(d) or paragraph (a)(8) of this section. The scoring system shall include an evaluation for each attribute. (i) The accreditation body shall establish and employ criteria for acceptable and nonacceptable results for each of the 8 attributes as well as an overall pass-fail system for clinical image review that has been approved by FDA in accordance with §900.3(d) or paragraph (a)(8) of this section. (ii) All clinical images submitted by a facility to the accreditation body shall be reviewed independently by two or more review physicians. (4) Selection of clinical images for review. Unless otherwise specified by FDA, the accreditation body shall require that for each mammography unit in the facility: (i) The facility shall submit craniocaudal (CC) and mediolateral oblique (MLO) views from two mammographic examinations that the facility produced during a time period specified by the accreditation body; (ii) Clinical images submitted from one such mammographic examination for each unit shall be of dense breasts (predominance of glandular tissue) and the other shall be of fat-replaced breasts (predominance of adipose tissue); (iii) All clinical images submitted shall be images that the facility's interpreting physician(s) interpreted as negative or benign. (iv) If the facility has no clinical images meeting the requirements in paragraphs (c)(4)(i) through (c)(4)(iii) of this section, it shall so notify the accreditation body, which shall specify alternative clinical image selection methods that do not compromise care of the patient. (5) Review physicians. Accreditation bodies shall ensure that all of their review physicians: (i) Meet the interpreting physician requirements specified in §900.12(a)(1) and meet such additional requirements as have been established by the accreditation body and approved by FDA; (ii) Are trained and evaluated in the clinical image review process, for the types of clinical images to be evaluated by a review physician, by the accreditation body before designation as review physicians and periodically thereafter; and (iii) Clearly document their findings and reasons for assigning a particular score to any clinical image and provide information to the facility for use in improving the attributes for which significant deficiencies were identified. (6) Image management. The accreditation body's QA program shall include a tracking system to ensure the security and return to the facility of all clinical images received and to ensure completion of all clinical image reviews by the body in a timely manner. The accreditation body shall return all clinical images to the facility within 60 days of their receipt by the body, with the following exceptions: (i) If the clinical images are needed earlier by the facility for clinical purposes, the accreditation body shall cooperate with the facility to accommodate such needs. (ii) If a review physician identifies a suspicious abnormality on an image submitted for clinical image review, the accreditation body shall ensure that this information is provided to the facility and that the clinical images are returned to the facility. Both shall occur no later than 10-business days after identification of the suspected abnormality. (7) Notification of unsatisfactory image quality. If the accreditation body determines that the clinical images received from a facility are of unsatisfactory quality, the body shall notify the facility of the nature of the problem and its possible causes. (d) Phantom image review for accreditation and reaccreditation—(1) Frequency of review. The accreditation body shall review phantom images from each facility accredited by the body at least once every 3 years. (2) Requirements for the phantom used. The accreditation body shall require that each facility submit for review phantom images that the facility produced using a phantom and methods of use specified by the body and approved by FDA in accordance with §900.3(d) or paragraph (a)(8) of this section. (3) Scoring phantom images. The accreditation body shall use a system for scoring phantom images that has been approved by FDA in accordance with §900.3(b) and (d) or paragraph (a)(8) of this section. (4) Phantom images selected for review. For each mammography unit in the facility, the accreditation body shall require the facility to submit phantom images that the facility produced during a time period specified by the body. (5) Phantom image reviewers. Accreditation bodies shall ensure that all of their phantom image reviewers: (i) Meet the requirements specified in §900.12(a)(3) or alternative requirements established by the accreditation body and approved by FDA in accordance with §900.3 or paragraph (a)(8) of this section; (ii) Are trained and evaluated in the phantom image review process, for the types of phantom images to be evaluated by a phantom image reviewer, by the accreditation body before designation as phantom image reviewers and periodically thereafter; and (iii) Clearly document their findings and reasons for assigning a particular score to any phantom image and provide information to the facility for use in improving its phantom image quality with regard to the significant deficiencies identified. (6) Image management. The accreditation body's QA program shall include a tracking system to ensure the security of all phantom images received and to ensure completion of all phantom image reviews by the body in a timely manner. All phantom images that result in a failure of accreditation shall be returned to the facility. (7) Notification measures for unsatisfactory image quality. If the accreditation body determines that the phantom images received from a facility are of unsatisfactory quality, the body shall notify the facility of the nature of the problem and its possible causes. (e) Reports of mammography equipment evaluation, surveys, and quality control. The following requirements apply to all facility equipment covered by the provisions of subparts A and B: (1) The accreditation body shall require every facility applying for accreditation to submit: (i) With its initial accreditation application, a mammography equipment evaluation that was performed by a medical physicist no earlier than 6 months before the date of application for accreditation by the facility. Such evaluation shall demonstrate compliance of the facility's equipment with the requirements in §900.12(e). (ii) Prior to accreditation, a survey that was performed no earlier than 6 months before the date of application for accreditation by the facility. Such survey shall assess the facility's compliance with the facility standards referenced in paragraph (b) of this section. (2) The accreditation body shall require that all facilities undergo an annual survey to ensure continued compliance with the standards referenced in paragraph (b) of this section and to provide continued oversight of facilities' quality control programs as they relate to such standards. The accreditation body shall require for all facilities that: (i) Such surveys be conducted annually; (ii) Facilities take reasonable steps to ensure that they receive reports of such surveys within 30 days of survey completion; and (iii) Facilities submit the results of such surveys and any other information that the body may require to the body at least annually. (3) The accreditation body shall review and analyze the information required in this section and use it to identify necessary corrective measures for facilities and to determine whether facilities should remain accredited by the body. (f) Accreditation body onsite visits and random clinical image reviews. The accreditation body shall conduct onsite visits and random clinical image reviews of a sample of facilities to monitor and assess their compliance with standards established by the body for accreditation. The accreditation body shall submit annually to FDA, at the address given in §900.3(b)(1), 3 copies of a summary report describing all facility assessments the body conducted under the provisions of this section for the year being reported. (1) Onsite visits—(i) Sample size. Annually, each accreditation body shall visit at least 5 percent of the facilities it accredits. However, a minimum of 5 facilities shall be visited, and visits to no more than 50 facilities are required, unless problems identified in paragraph (f)(1)(i)(B) of this section indicate a need to visit more than 50 facilities. (A) At least 50 percent of the facilities visited shall be selected randomly. (B) Other facilities visited shall be selected based on problems identified through State or FDA inspections, serious complaints received from consumers or others, a previous history of noncompliance, or any other information in the possession of the accreditation body, inspectors, or FDA. (C) Before, during, or after any facility visit, the accreditation body may require that the facility submit to the body for review clinical images, phantom images, or any other information relevant to applicable standards in this subpart and in subpart B of this part. (ii) Visit plan. The accreditation body shall conduct facility onsite visits according to a visit plan that has been approved by FDA in accordance with §900.3(d) or paragraph (a)(8) of this section, unless otherwise directed by FDA in particular circumstances. At a minimum, such a plan shall provide for: (A) Assessment of overall clinical image QA activities of the facility; (B) Review of facility documentation to determine if appropriate mammography reports are sent to patients and physicians as required; (C) Selection of a sample of clinical images for clinical image review by the accreditation body. Clinical images shall be selected in a manner specified by the accreditation body and approved by FDA that does not compromise care of the patient as a result of the absence of the selected images from the facility; (D) Verification that the facility has a medical audit system in place and is correlating films and pathology reports for positive cases; (E) Verification that personnel specified by the facility are the ones actually performing designated personnel functions; (F) Verification that equipment specified by the facility is the equipment that is actually being used to perform designated equipment functions; (G) Verification that a consumer complaint mechanism is in place and that the facility is following its procedures; and (H) Review of all factors related to previously identified concerns or concerns identified during that visit. (2) Clinical image review for random sample of facilities—(i) Sample size. In addition to conducting clinical image reviews for accreditation and reaccreditation for all facilities, the accreditation body shall conduct clinical image reviews annually for a randomly selected sample as specified by FDA, but to include at least 3 percent of the facilities the body accredits. Accreditation bodies may count toward this random sample requirement all facilities selected randomly for the onsite visits described in paragraph (f)(1)(i)(A) of this section. Accreditation bodies shall not count toward the random sample requirement any facilities described in paragraph (f)(1)(i)(B) of this section that were selected for a visit because of previously identified concerns. (ii) Random clinical image review. In performing clinical image reviews of the random sample of facilities, accreditation bodies shall evaluate the same attributes as those in paragraph (c) of this section for review of clinical images for accreditation and reaccreditation. (iii) Accreditation bodies should not schedule random clinical image reviews at facilities that have received notification of the need to begin the accreditation renewal process or that have completed the accreditation renewal process within the previous 6 months. (iv) Selection of the random sample of clinical images for clinical image review by the accreditation body. Clinical images shall be selected in a manner, specified by the accreditation body and approved by FDA under §900.3(d) or paragraph (a)(8) of this section, that does not compromise care of the patient as a result of the absence of the selected images from the facility. (g) Consumer complaint mechanism. The accreditation body shall develop and administer a written and documented system, including timeframes, for collecting and resolving serious consumer complaints that could not be resolved at a facility. Such system shall have been approved by FDA in accordance with§900.3(d) or paragraph (a)(8) of this section. Accordingly, all accreditation bodies shall: (1) Provide a mechanism for all facilities it accredits to file serious unresolved complaints with the accreditation body; (2) Maintain a record of every serious unresolved complaint received by the body on all facilities it accredits for a period of at least 3 years from the date of receipt of each such complaint; (h) Reporting and recordkeeping. All reports to FDA specified in paragraphs (h)(1) through (h)(4) of this section shall be prepared and submitted in a format and medium prescribed by FDA and shall be submitted to a location and according to a schedule specified by FDA. The accreditation body shall: (1) Collect and submit to FDA the information required by 42 U.S.C. 263b(d) for each facility when the facility is initially accredited and at least annually when updated, in a manner and at a time specified by FDA. (2) Accept applications containing the information required in 42 U.S.C. 263b(c)(2) for provisional certificates and in §900.11(b)(3) for extension of provisional certificates, on behalf of FDA, and notify FDA of the receipt of such information; (3) Submit to FDA the name, identifying information, and other information relevant to 42 U.S.C. 263b and specified by FDA for any facility for which the accreditation body denies, suspends, or revokes accreditation, and the reason(s) for such action; (4) Submit to FDA an annual report summarizing all serious complaints received during the previous calendar year, their resolution status, and any actions taken in response to them; (5) Provide to FDA other information relevant to 42 U.S.C. 263b and required by FDA about any facility accredited or undergoing accreditation by the body. (i) Fees. Fees charged to facilities for accreditation shall be reasonable. Costs of accreditation body activities that are not related to accreditation functions under 42 U.S.C. 263b are not recoverable through fees established for accreditation. (1) The accreditation body shall make public its fee structure, including those factors, if any, contributing to variations in fees for different facilities. (2) At FDA's request, accreditation bodies shall provide financial records or other material to assist FDA in assessing the reasonableness of accreditation body fees. Such material shall be provided to FDA in a manner and time period specified by the agency. [62 FR 55976, Oct. 28, 1997; 62 FR 60614, Nov. 10, 1997, as amended at 64 FR 32407, June 17, 1999] FDA shall evaluate annually the performance of each accreditation body. Such evaluation shall include an assessment of the reports of FDA or State inspections of facilities accredited by the body as well as any additional information deemed relevant by FDA that has been provided by the accreditation body or other sources or has been required by FDA as part of its oversight initiatives. The evaluation shall include a determination of whether there are major deficiencies in the accreditation body's performance that, if not corrected, would warrant withdrawal of the approval of the accreditation body under the provisions of §900.6. If FDA determines, through the evaluation activities of §900.5, or through other means, that an accreditation body is not in substantial compliance with this subpart, FDA may initiate the following actions: (a) Major deficiencies. If FDA determines that an accreditation body has failed to perform a major accreditation function satisfactorily, has demonstrated willful disregard for public health, has violated the code of conduct, has committed fraud, or has submitted material false statements to the agency, FDA may withdraw its approval of that accreditation body. (1) FDA shall notify the accreditation body of the agency's action and the grounds on which the approval was withdrawn. (2) An accreditation body that has lost its approval shall notify facilities accredited or seeking accreditation by it that its approval has been withdrawn. Such notification shall be made within a time period and in a manner approved by FDA. (b) Minor deficiencies. If FDA determines that an accreditation body has demonstrated deficiencies in performing accreditation functions and responsibilities that are less serious or more limited than the deficiencies in paragraph (a) of this section, FDA shall notify the body that it has a specified period of time to take particular corrective measures directed by FDA or to submit to FDA for approval the body's own plan of corrective action addressing the minor deficiencies. FDA may place the body on probationary status for a period of time determined by FDA, or may withdraw approval of the body as an accreditation body if corrective action is not taken. (1) If FDA places an accreditation body on probationary status, the body shall notify all facilities accredited or seeking accreditation by it of its probationary status within a time period and in a manner approved by FDA. (2) Probationary status shall remain in effect until such time as the body can demonstrate to the satisfaction of FDA that it has successfully implemented or is implementing the corrective action plan within the established schedule, and that the corrective actions have substantially eliminated all identified problems. (3) If FDA determines that an accreditation body that has been placed on probationary status is not implementing corrective actions satisfactorily or within the established schedule, FDA may withdraw approval of the accreditation body. The accreditation body shall notify all facilities accredited or seeking accreditation by it of its loss of FDA approval, within a time period and in a manner approved by FDA. (c) Reapplication by accreditation bodies that have had their approval withdrawn. (1) A former accreditation body that has had its approval withdrawn may submit a new application for approval if the body can provide information to FDA to establish that the problems that were grounds for withdrawal of approval have been resolved. (2) If FDA determines that the new application demonstrates that the body satisfactorily has addressed the causes of its previous unacceptable performance, FDA may reinstate approval of the accreditation body. (3) FDA may request additional information or establish additional conditions that must be met by a former accreditation body before FDA approves the reapplication. (4) FDA may refuse to accept an application from a former accreditation body whose approval was withdrawn because of fraud or willful disregard of public health. (a) Opportunities to challenge final adverse actions taken by FDA regarding approval or reapproval of accreditation bodies, withdrawal of approval of accreditation bodies, or rejection of a proposed fee for accreditation shall be communicated through notices of opportunity for informal hearings in accordance with part 16 of this chapter. (b) A facility that has been denied accreditation is entitled to an appeals process from the accreditation body. The appeals process shall be specified in writing by the accreditation body and shall have been approved by FDA in accordance with §900.3(d) or §900.4(a)(8). (c) A facility that cannot achieve satisfactory resolution of an adverse accreditation decision through the accreditation body's appeals process may appeal to FDA for reconsideration in accordance with §900.15.
Title 21: Food and Drugs
PART 900—MAMMOGRAPHY
Subpart A—Accreditation
§ 900.1 Scope.
§ 900.2 Definitions.
§ 900.3 Application for approval as an accreditation body.
§ 900.4 Standards for accreditation bodies.
§ 900.5 Evaluation.
§ 900.6 Withdrawal of approval.
§ 900.7 Hearings.
§§ 900.8-900.9 [Reserved]
