LAB-EEG & LAB-NIOM Accreditation
The American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologists (ABRET) created the Laboratory Accreditation Board for EEG Laboratories (LAB-EEG Board) five years ago. The mandate for this board was to create a system for accrediting EEG laboratories that produce technically high quality EEGs. Included in the criteria for accreditation is adherence to national standards for EEG acquisition established by the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society and certification of technologists. This program has been highly successful, with over 54 laboratories having been accredited to date. These include laboratories in university and non-university based hospitals and private practice offices. Recently the US News and World Report ranking of pediatric hospital neurology and neurosurgery programs started asking whether hospital EEG laboratories were accredited by LAB-EEG. Such accreditation has the potential of enhancing the hospitals standing in this rating.
Because of the rapid proliferation of neurophysiologic intraoperative monitoring (NIOM) services in hospitals, ABRET created the LAB-NIOM Board to establish criteria for accrediting hospital based NIOM laboratories. The LAB-NIOM Board started accrediting hospital based laboratories in 2009. To date, nine laboratories have been accredited. Among the accreditation requirements are the availability of appropriately trained physician interpreters, technologists, and other personnel and equipment necessary for the successful operation of such a laboratory.
LAB-EEG and LAB-NIOM accreditation information can be found on the ABRET website. Additionally, criteria required to become an accredited NIOM laboratory is also available on the website. Both accreditations require completion of an application, and neither requires a site visit. Persons or hospitals interested in LAB-EEG or LAB-NIOM accreditation can obtain additional information from the ABRET website.
Aatif M. Husain, MD
LAB-NIOM Chairman