The AANEM Electrodiagnostic Laboratory Accrediation Program:

• Demonstrates clinical excellence in electrodiagnostic medicine
• Proves a laboratory's commitment to providing the highest quality health care and a safe environment for patients
• Provides patients, referral sources, and payers with a credible measure to differentiate the laboratory's qualify of care

Accreditation is available to all types and sizes of practices based in the United States, including:

• Private Practices
• Solo or Group Practices
• Academic Institutions
• Hospital Based Practices
• Independent Diagnostic Testing Facilities

The standards used for accreditation evaluate the diagnostic services and clinical operations essential to providing quality patient care, including clinical staff qualifications and continuing education, the physical facilities, the electrodiagnostic equipment, protocols for performing electrodiagnostic studies, patient reports, and the policies in place for ensuring the health and safety of every patient.

Yes, Accreditation with exemplary status is the highest level of accreditation recognized by the AANEM.  Exemplary status is granted to laboratories where 100% of the practicing neurologists and physiatrists are certified by at least one of the following boards:

• American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine (ABEM)
• American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) in Clinical Neurophysiology or Neuromuscular Medicine
• American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation in Neuromuscular Medicine

The AANEM accredits laboratories for a 5-year period.  The program is designed to facilitate continuous improvement through periodic reviews to ensure ongoing compliance with accreditation standards.

The Electrodiagnostic Laboratory Accreditation Program is a peer review process that evaluates electrodiagnostic laboratories against standards developed by the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM). Achieving accreditation demonstrates that a significant milestone in patient care has been attained.

Applicant laboratories will purchase an application for $75. The application will be customized based on the staff composition of each laboratory. The accreditation review fees will be based on the structure of the electrodiagnostic practice. Each accreditation applicant laboratory will pay the base fee of $1000 for up to three physicians. There is a $200 charge for each additional physician (4 physicians or more). Each satellite laboratory applying for accreditation with a main laboratory is $200.

Rather than require each location to apply independently (which would be more costly and time consuming), a lesser fee is charged that recognizes the crossover of policies, procedures, and staffing that exists with satellite locations.

A diagram of the process is available.  Members of the AANEM Accreditation Committee will review the application. The Accreditation Committee will submit its recommendation to the AANEM Board of Directors as to whether the laboratory is granted accreditation, provisional accreditation, or denied accreditation. The AANEM Board of Directors will have the final approval.

The goal of the program is education. Laboratories with minor problems will be granted provisional accreditation. The laboratory will have 6 months to resolve any concerns identified by the Accreditation Committee.

No, site visits will only be performed if the Accreditation Committee reviewers are concerned about the accuracy of the information submitted in the application.

To be eligible for Accreditation with Exemplary Status all of the neurologists and physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians performing studies in the laboratory must (1) complete 3 months of training in electrodiagnostic medicine as part of an ACGME or RPSC residency or fellowship program and (2) demonstrate certification by the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine or the American Board of Psychiatry or Neurology's subspecialty certification in Clinical Neurophysiology or Neuromuscular Medicine.  This status will be the highest level of accreditation recognized by the AANEM. 

All laboratories that are not eligible for Accreditation with Exemplary Status may apply for Accreditation Status. 

If at any time a laboratory and its physicians are eligible for exemplary status they may contact the AANEM office and request a reevaluation of their status.

At this time the accreditation program is only available to US electrodiagnostic laboratories. The AANEM intends to accredit electrodiagnostic laboratories internationally, but has not identified a timeline.

Quality improvement generally describes is a process designed to raise the quality of electrodiagnostic medical services within the laboratory in order to improve the health outcomes of the laboratory’s patients. There are a number of ways a laboratory can demonstrate quality improvement, a few examples include:

• Distributing patient satisfaction surveys, reviewing the responses, and modifying or implementing laboratory procedures or policies based upon the feedback received;
• Conducting periodic peer review sessions to ensure accuracy of the diagnosis; and
• Meeting with colleagues to discuss difficult studies.

Laboratories seeking accreditation in the AANEM's Electrodiagnostic Laboratory Accreditation Program must demonstrate a commitment to compliance with all privacy, security and electronic transaction code requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). In order to demonstrate this commitment, applicant laboratories must submit a HIPAA Compliance Policy with their applications.

The AANEM has not created a model HIPAA Compliance Policy. However, there are a number of resources available online, both free and fee-based services, which may help you create a policy that is appropriate for your laboratory. The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has a comprehensive HIPAA Policy and Procedure Manual available for download on the HIPAA website, which may provide guidance when drafting a HIPAA Compliance Policy for the accreditation program.

Please be advised that the AANEM does not warrant that the policies created by the AHCA will be suitable for a laboratory’s particular purposes or comply with any local, state, and/or federal law. Before adopting a particular policy, an applicant laboratory should be reviewed by an attorney knowledgeable with federal and state privacy laws related to the use and storage of medical records.

Yes.  Review the AANEM's educational paper, Reporting the Results of Needle EMG and Nerve Conduction Studies.  You also can use the AANEM's Key Report Checklist and Report Template to help you ensure your reports meet AANEM's standards.

It is the AANEM’s belief that competency in electrodiagnostic medicine is achieved by performing and interpreting electrodiagnostic examinations on a regular basis. The AANEM established the 100 electrodiagnostic consultation requirement in order to ensure physicians in an accredited lab are conducting enough consultations to maintain their clinical and diagnostic skills.

Labs employing physicians who are unable to meet the requirement may request a waiver of the requirement.  The Laboratory Medical Director must submit a formal waiver request to the AANEM detailing the reason(s) why the physician(s) is unable to meet the requirement, the education and certifications of all physicians employed in the lab, and any other pertinent information.

The AANEM Electrodiagnostic Lab Committee will review the request and determine if a waiver is warranted and may, at its discretion, impose further and additional continuing education and/or proficiency requirements in lieu of the 100 electrodiagnostic consultation requirement.

The AANEM has experienced several issues with its accreditation program since it was launched, which has caused a delay in reviewing submitted applications.  However, these issues have been resolved and the AANEM is committed to reviewing applications as fast as possible.

In an effort to speed up the application review process, the AANEM has spent considerable time and effort creating an automated grading program.  The program will analyze submitted application information and provide reviewers with easy to read reports, which will facilitate faster review.

We thank you for your continued patience as we launch this new review process.

If you would like to get a status report of your application, contact aanem@aanem.org.

To qualify as a satellite laboratory, (1) the same organizational policies, including medical record retention, human resources, and laboratory procedures must be used, and (2) the individual designated as the Laboratory Medical Director at the main laboratory must also manage the satellite facility, and (3) the physicians practicing in the main laboratory must staff the satellite laboratory.  Satellite laboratories not meeting this standard must apply as a main laboratory site.