The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) is looking for help from working professionals in Breast Sonography. We encourage you to review the proposed changes to the Breast Sonography 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 breast sonographers. 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 breast sonographers to determine these topics. Results from these surveys were used to update the content specifications and clinical experience requirements.
The ARRT Breast Sonography Practice Analysis Committee (composed of subject matter experts from throughout the United States) began working on these documents in October 2023 and will complete work on them next spring. After that, ARRT’s Board of Trustees will review the proposed changes. The new Breast Sonography documents have a scheduled implementation date of September 1, 2026.
SUMMARY OF MAJOR PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE EXAMINATION CONTENT SPECIFICATIONS
Patient Care Section
- Additional content including more detail in external appearance and patient symptoms/clinical indications was added to the patient assessment section.
- Additional details about inherent risk factors for breast cancer were added.
Image Production Section
- Under image optimization, beam steering, static elastography, and automatic imaging optimization were added.
- Under artifact recognition, mirror artifact and implant rupture artifacts were added. Ring-down artifact was removed from this section.
Procedures Section
- The anatomy and physiology section was renamed to anatomical layers and breast tissue. It was updated to list the different breast layers and components.
- Other breast ultrasound imaging was added.
SUMMARY OF THE MAJOR PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE CLINICAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
- For each of the 200 breast ultrasound examinations performed, the clinical findings and images must be presented to the radiologist using appropriate terminology.
- In the elective procedures section, pre-op needle localization was clarified to include different types of non-wire localization.
REVIEW THE DOCUMENTS AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK
We invite you to review the documents below and provide feedback through an online survey (live until October 15, 2024). The survey is the official method by which we track feedback. The Breast Sonography 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 Breast Sonography, call 651.687.0048. Select the option for earning an ARRT credential.
Thank you for your contribution to this important project!