The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) is looking for help from working professionals in Mammography. We encourage you to review the proposed changes to the Mammography Examination Content Specifications and Clinical Experience Requirements.
Our goal is to produce comprehensive, accurate, and fair documents that cover the knowledge and cognitive skills required of mammographers. ARRT’s examinations are job-related. That is, we only include topics if knowledge of those topics relates directly to a clinical activity typically required in one’s job. A survey of possible tasks and procedures was sent to 2,000 current mammographers to determine these topics. Results from these surveys were used to update the content specifications and clinical experience requirements.
The ARRT Mammography Practice Analysis Committee (composed of subject matter experts from throughout the United States) began working on these documents in November 2022 and will complete work on them this fall. After that, ARRT’s Board of Trustees will review the proposed changes. The new Mammography documents have a scheduled implementation date of September 1, 2025.
SUMMARY OF MAJOR PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE EXAMINATION CONTENT SPECIFICATIONS
Patient Care Section
- Additional content including a section on patient results (e.g., patient receiving results) was added under patient communication.
- Additional content about documentation of medical history and physical findings was added under patient assessment.
- Sentinel axillary node dissection, TRAM flap, and latissimus dorsi flap were removed under breast cancer treatment options.
Image Production Section
- Under digital image display and informatics, medical record (HIS/RIS, EMR) replaced workflow. Breast density reporting requirements was added under MQSA regulations.
Procedures Section
- Edema, phyllodes tumor, and seroma were added under benign pathology and mammographic appearance. Flat epithelial atypia was added under benign with upgrade potential and mammographic appearance. Metastatic lesions was added under malignant pathology and mammographic appearance.
- Sentinel node mapping, ultrasound core biopsy, cyst aspiration, and fine needle aspiration biopsy were removed.
The total number of scored questions remains the same at 115, but the number of questions in each section changed.
SUMMARY OF THE MAJOR PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE CLINICAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
- The minimum number of mammography procedures needed for documentation is 113. This includes the mandatory and elective procedures as documented in the clinical experience requirements document.
- The maximum number of procedures that can be documented each day in the online worksheet has been clarified to be 16 procedures. This includes mammograms, mammographic image evaluation, QC procedures, and elective procedures. Only one QC documentation submission can be entered each day.
REVIEW THE DOCUMENTS AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK
We invite you to review the documents below and provide feedback through an online survey (live until September 15, 2023). The survey is the official method by which we track feedback. The Mammography Practice Analysis Committee will review all comments and may make additional changes based on your feedback.
Note: Additions are in blue, and deletions are in strikethrough red in the drafts.
QUESTIONS?
If you have questions about how the proposed changes may affect your eligibility for certification and registration in Mammography, call 651.687.0048. Select the option for earning an ARRT credential.
Thank you for your contribution to this important project!