In each issue of this newsletter, I'll continue Penny's tradition of presenting frequently asked questions (FAQs) or other information of particular importance for medical physicists. You may also check out the ACR's accreditation web site portal for more FAQs, accreditation application information, and QC forms.

The ACR recently released its 2018 Digital Mammography QC Manual with 2D and Digital Breast Tomosynthesis. The following are select FAQs pertaining to the new manual. These and more FAQs can be found on the ACR Digital Mammography QC Manual Resources web page, where you can also find updated Microsoft Excel forms for technologist and medical physicist QC, free to download. Please contact us if you have questions.

Q. Does the 2018 edition of the manual supersede the 2016 edition?
A. Yes.

Q. Is the ACR Digital Mammography QC Manual available to all ACR-accredited facilities at no charge?
A. Yes. A link to download the ACR Digital Mammography QC Manual at no charge was emailed on November 19, 2018 to accreditation facility contacts at all ACR-accredited mammography facilities. They were instructed to share the link with their colleagues at the facility, including their medical physicists. Corrections and updates will periodically be sent to all accredited facility contacts as they become available. Consequently, it is important to check that all your facility's contact information, including email addresses, are up to date in the ACR accreditation database (ACRedit). Go to http://www.acraccreditation.org/Login to log in.

Q. I am the medical physicist for several ACR-accredited mammography facilities. Can ACR directly send me the link to download the ACR Digital Mammography Quality Control Manual?
A. No. You must obtain the link to download the ACR Digital Mammography Quality Control Manual from one of your ACR-accredited facilities. A link to download the manual at no charge was emailed to accreditation facility contacts at all ACR-accredited mammography facilities. They were specifically instructed to share this link with their medical physicists. Contact your mammography facility and ask them to send you the link.

Q. I have tried to download the ACR Digital Mammography Quality Control Manual from the link that the ACR sent, and I am unable view or save the manual. What do I do?
A. There are several possible solutions to this problem:

• Clear the browser cache and cookies, and refresh the page.
• Try opening the file with a different browser by copying the link and pasting it into the search bar of the new browser. (We've tested both Chrome and Firefox with good results.)
• If the above suggestions do not work, you may need to reconfigure your browser, which may require assistance from your IT team.

Q. I am not affiliated with an ACR-accredited facility. How may I obtain a copy of the manual?
A. Individuals not associated with ACR-accredited facilities may purchase the manual from the ACR catalog.

Q. Our facility has a digital mammography unit that only performs 2D imaging. Will we be allowed to use the ACR Digital Mammography QC Manual instead of our manufacturer's QC manual for QC on this unit?
A. Yes.

Q. Our facility has a mammography unit that performs 2D imaging using computed radiography (CR). Will we be allowed to use the ACR Digital Mammography QC Manual instead of our CR manufacturer's QC manual for QC on this unit?
A. Yes.

Q. Our facility has a digital mammography unit that performs both 2D imaging and DBT. Will we be allowed to use the ACR Digital Mammography QC Manual instead of our manufacturer's manual for QC of the 2D applications of our digital mammography unit and then follow our manufacturer's QC manual for tomosynthesis?
A. Yes.

Q. Is a full mammography equipment evaluation (MEE) required to begin using the ACR Digital Mammography QC Manual for 2D and DBT?
A. No. An annual survey is required for facilities transitioning from a manufacturer's QC program to the ACR DM QC Manual. However, MEE test data obtained under the facility's previous QC program should be maintained and available for baseline, comparison, and troubleshooting purposes until those tests are performed for the first time under the ACR Digital Mammography QC procedures. If data for the MEE tests are not available for baseline, comparison, and troubleshooting purposes, a full MEE must be done in order to make those data available.

Q. Must the initial medical physicist's annual survey using the manual and phantom be performed on the digital mammography unit and display devices on the same day?
A. No. The medical physicist may choose to perform the digital mammography unit and display device annual surveys on the same day or on different days. The QC technologist should perform the routine QC on the digital mammography unit using the manual and phantom after the medical physicist's testing is complete on the unit. Likewise, the QC technologist should perform the routine QC on the display devices using the manual and phantom after the medical physicist's testing is complete on the display devices. However, it is preferable that mammography units and display devices located at the same geographical location be tested by the medical physicist on the same day.

Q. Our facility has display devices that are geographically distant from the mammography units. Is there a time limit between transitioning our mammography units to the ACR Digital Mammography QC Manual program and these distant display devices?
A. Yes. The display devices must have annual surveys performed for transition at the next regularly scheduled annual survey, or earlier. The existing manufacturer's QC program for the distant display devices must be followed until the transition annual survey is completed, and clear documentation should be kept to identify transition dates for each device.