Mammography Quality Assurance
In 1992, President George Bush signed the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) giving regulatory responsibility for mammography quality assurance activities to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). At the request of the FDA, the Connecticut DEEP entered into a contract to assist in the enforcement of the new requirements by having DEEP perform inspections in Connecticut.
Prior to MQSA being implemented, approximately 300 facilities in Connecticut were performing mammography with limited oversight. The contract to conduct inspections is still in effect and has resulted in the gradual elimination of facilities that were non-compliant with federal standards. Today, approximately 30 facilities are conducting mammography in compliance with federal standards.
These facilities are inspected annually and are held to stringent federal standards. The inspection process consists of monitoring the mammography unit to ensure it is functioning in conformance within its design specifications. Additionally, Quality Assurance and Quality Control records as well as credentialing of Radiologists, Radiologic Technologists, and Radiation Physicists are inspected.
Additional information for mammography facility personnel, inspectors, and consumers about the implementation of the Mammography Quality Standards Act can be found on the FDA website.
Content Last Updated January 2020