Noteboom The Law Firm

VA OIG Inspects VA MRI Facilities

January 28, 2011 - Although the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) touts the high level of health care they provide, they have had their share of problems. Over the last couple of years, the VA has seen multiple problems with safety protocols not being followed, which has resulted in the spread of disease and other personal injuries. To ensure all protocols are being followed, the VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) inspected 43 VA medical centers nationwide, housing 50 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines.

The audit occurred between July 1, 2009 and September 30, 2010. The OIG not only looked at safety protocols, they also looked at the training personnel were given and the safety of the equipment. The OIG's final report was not wholly favorable for the VA.

The report concluded the VA must improve:

• Employee Training;
• Veteran/Patient Screening;
• Use of the informed consent protocol;
• Addressing physical barriers; and
• Emergency preparedness.

In 2008 the Joint Commission, a non-profit independent group, advised the next 10 years would show an increased amount of injuries related to the use of MRIs. The OIG launched their own investigation that year into a patient's allegation he was left stranded inside an MRI unit and was forced to crawl out. The OIG ultimately concluded because the VA facility failed to perform the required regular maintenance on the MRI unit, the machines panic button did not work.

The magnetic field used by the MRI unit is easily powerful enough to relocate metallic objects located in the immediate vicinity. Should that happen, that object is very easily turned into a projectile. The American College of Radiology (ACR) endorses very specific rules, which encourage safety guidelines for the use of MRIs. The VA, however, does not mandate all their MRI centers adhere to those rules and protocols. Nevertheless, the VA has already formed a plan for how to bring their MRI facilities up to standard.