The Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Program (PADI) of the Brazilian College of Radiology (CBR) aims to evaluate public and private services, using impartial criteria, in relation to compliance with minimum quality, safety and sustainability requirements. The program encompasses the entire process of carrying out an examination, from its scheduling to the release of the report to the patient, considering the main related aspects, such as: governance and management; infrastructure, radiation and security; and analytical support.
Padi was structured with the participation of radiologists from all over the country, in addition to being based on consistent research on the successful experiences of other accreditation programs in Brazil and worldwide. Its main differential is the technical evaluation of images and reports, in a stage preceding the on-site and procedural audit, and can be applied in services of Bone Densitometry, Mammography, Nuclear Medicine, General Radiology, Interventional Radiology, Magnetic Resonance, Computed Tomography and Ultrasound .
Currently, Padi has accredited services in different regions of the country, including clinics and hospitals of different sizes, with a total of 56 enrolled in the program.
It is worth noting that, since its launch in 2014, the program has improved its internal processes in order to be increasingly efficient in its assessment activities, while at the same time being inclusive of the different levels of Radiology and Imaging Diagnosis existing in the country. The changes in the program range from the management and operation model to the criteria and tolerable scores for failure in the evaluation of exams sent by customers.
An advance that should be emphasized is the achievement, in January 2017, of Norma Padi accreditation by the International Society in Quality Healthcare (ISQua), the only organization in the world to certify the other accrediting companies and present in more than 100 countries, on five continents. It is the most important recognition with regard to accreditors in the health area. Receiving this seal makes it possible to consider that Padi is in line with the main international health assessment processes, with its applied methodology being validated.
Padi's management, made up of medical and administrative interfaces, is supported by the Imaging Diagnostic Accreditation Commission (Cadi). This group is mainly composed of radiologists who deliberate on the main issues related to the program, such as, for example, the granting of accreditation to an evaluated service. The processes are confidential and the clients addressed at Cadi meetings are anonymized, aiming, in particular, at impartiality in decision-making. The main purpose of this commission is to decide collectively on the best progress for Padi, considering the reputation of the chosen members and the market experience of these professionals.