Mammography Quality Assurance

All X-rays machines used to carry out mammography imaging must comply with the relevant state’s safety standards to ensure that occupational and public exposure to radiation is minimised.

For mammography practices or medical imaging facilities conducting mammography imaging who are accredited with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) are required to participate in the Mammography Quality Assurance Program (MQAP).

Participation in the MQAP is machine specific. For practices with multiple mammography machines, the practice must apply to participate in the MQAP for each machine. The MQAP operates on a three (3) year cycle:-

For the first year annual cycle, the mammography practice undergoes accreditation or reaccreditation of the mammography machine. In the first cycle, the requirements include the assessment of clinical and physics materials by expert mammography radiologists and mammography accredited physicists.

In the second year and third annual cycle, an accredited mammography physicist assesses the quality control data and physics materials submitted by the mammography practice.

Sieverts are accredited physicists and certified by the Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers as Mammography Equipment Assessor to conduct mammography equipment testing to the MQAP standards defined by RANZCR. Sieverts can assist with film and DR mammography machines.