The Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) sets the federal baseline for mammography quality in the United States. Compliance isn't optional — it's a requirement for every facility that performs mammography. Yet MQSA inspection findings remain common, often due to documentation gaps rather than actual quality issues.
Equipment Maintenance Requirements
MQSA requires that mammography equipment be maintained according to the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule. For Hologic systems, this means following the PM intervals and procedures specified in the system's service manual. Key equipment maintenance requirements include: performing PM at manufacturer-recommended intervals; documenting all maintenance activities; maintaining calibration records; keeping records of all repairs and component replacements; and verifying system performance after any service event.
Quality Assurance Testing
Facilities must perform regular quality assurance (QA) testing as part of their MQSA compliance program. This includes daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual tests depending on the specific protocol. The most critical QA tests include: daily phantom image quality evaluation; weekly artifact evaluation; compression force testing; and annual physics survey.
Documentation Best Practices
The most common MQSA compliance failures are documentation-related, not equipment-related. Best practices include: maintaining a dedicated QA/QC logbook or digital system; filing all service reports chronologically; keeping physicist survey reports readily accessible; documenting any corrective actions taken; and maintaining equipment purchase records and specifications.
How MammoService Supports Compliance
Every MammoService PM visit is designed with MQSA compliance in mind. Our service reports document every inspection point, measurement, and calibration performed — creating a complete maintenance record ready for inspector review. We also flag any findings that could affect compliance and provide recommendations for corrective action.
Preparing for Inspections
MQSA inspections can be announced or unannounced. The best preparation is consistent compliance — if your QA program is running daily, your maintenance is current, and your documentation is complete, an inspection is simply a verification of what you're already doing.
If you're unsure about your facility's MQSA compliance status, MammoService can perform a compliance readiness assessment as part of a PM visit. Contact us to learn more.