Diagnostic Imaging

COVID-19 Update: The Department of Health has developed a fact sheet on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on diagnostic imaging accreditation. Click here to read more.

Our Experience Assessing DIAS

HDAA is proud to have been involved with the Department of Health as an Approved Accreditor for the Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme (DIAS) since its implementation in 2008. We have supported literally hundreds of diagnostic imaging services with DIAS accreditation over the intervening years, providing a personalised and responsive assessment service and information for individual practices undertaking accreditation and the scheme updates, benefits and changes.

As an experienced provider of diagnostic imaging accreditation services, HDAA has designed a straightforward online system, onTrack, to enable smooth communications and an easy to use portal to support practices apply for and monitor their accreditation to DIAS.

What is the DIAS?

DIAS refers to the Diagnostic imaging Accreditation Scheme.

The Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme was established by the Health Insurance Amendment (Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation) Act 2007 to ensure Medicare funding is directed to diagnostic imaging services that are safe, effective and responsive to the needs of health care consumers. The Health Insurance Act 1973 provides the legislative framework for DIAS.

The scope of DIAS includes radiology and non-radiology diagnostic imaging services and provides practices with eligibility to offer Medicare Australia funding for relevant services.

Practices that provide Medicare funded diagnostic imaging services must achieve and maintain accreditation to ensure ongoing Medicare funding. The DIAS and Standards have undergone review and some changes have been made, primarily to clarify requirements, address ambiguities and inconsistencies and ensure alignment with the National Safety and Quality Health Services Standards produced by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. No new standards have been introduced.

All practices undergoing accreditation since 1 January 2016 are assessed against the revised standards whether entering the scheme, progressing from Entry Level to Full Suite or undergoing re-accreditation to the Full Suite of Standards.
The Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act) provides the legislative framework for the introduction and operation of the Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme for practices providing diagnostic imaging services under Medicare.

The Act allows the Minister for Health to establish through legislative instruments, the rules governing the operation of the Scheme, including the organisations able to provide accreditation services, i.e. HDAA Australia.

More details on the applicable legislation and progress of the DIAS can be accessed from the “Background Information” page of our website.

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Register With HDAA For DIAS Accreditation

HDAA has been assessing for DIAS since its inception in 2008. Click the button below to get in contact with our expert team today.

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Preparing for your DIAS assessment

Contact us by email or phone 1800 601 696 to discuss your service’s individual needs, relevant transition details and to identify a suitable date with sufficient lead time to feel comfortable and prepare for your service’s transition.

There are three key steps to achieving accreditation:

First you enrol with HDAA. This shows that you have chosen HDAA as your accreditor and we will provide access to onTrack to help you manage your accreditation.
Second you need to apply for accreditation by providing evidence for us to assess. You upload your evidence into your onTrack portal and we assess it to the relevant DIAS standards.
The result of your assessment will be your Assessment Report and if all the DIAS standards are met you receive an accreditation certificate. We advise Medicare and the Department of Health of your accredited status so that you can provide the relevant Medicare funded diagnostic imaging services to your patients.

The scheme encompasses all diagnostic imaging services who provide Medicare funded services on the Diagnostic Imaging Services Table (DIST).

The Key Features of DIAS accreditation

A new practice (new business or new entrant to the scheme) can choose either the Entry Level or the Full Suite of Standards.
Entry Level accreditation consists of three (3) Standards and provides two (2) years accreditation. Entry Level accreditation can only be undertaken once. A practice choosing the Entry Level Standards initially must then apply for and achieve accreditation to the Full Suite of Standards.
Accreditation to the Full Suite of Standards requires assessment to the 15 standards and provides four (4) years diagnostic imaging accreditation. Your practice must then be re-accredited to the Full Suite of Standards every four (4) years.

Services choosing not to become accredited (or who do not achieve accreditation) will not be eligible for Medicare funding. Practices must notify patients before providing diagnostic imaging services if the practice is not accredited and therefore that Medicare benefits are not payable.

What a DIAS assessment involves

Once you enrol with HDAA you choose either Entry Level or Full Suite accreditation (see Preparing for DIAS Accreditation above).

By logging into your secure onTrack portal, you upload the evidence for each Standard and check a tick box to show which Standard your evidence is related to.

Our skilled and experienced health Assessors review the evidence you provide and prepare a report to show the outcome of your assessment.

The Assessment Report is uploaded for you to your onTrack portal and a notification is emailed to advise of its availability and the outcome of your assessment. When all the DIAS standards are met you receive an accreditation certificate. We advise Medicare and the Department of Health of your accredited status so that you can provide the relevant Medicare funded diagnostic imaging services to your patients.

Re-accreditation Assessment

Certification is for a period of four years from the date the Certificate decision is made following the completion of a review. Re-certification is required to maintain accreditation. The re-certification process is as per assessment to the Full Suite of Standards at initial accreditation.

DIAS Resources

The Department of Health has a comprehensive set of guidance materials to assist Practices complete an application for accreditation to the Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme (DIAS) standards. The guidance materials include detailed information on each standard explaining what is required, references to State and Territory legislation and templates that practices can adopt to produce the evidence required to meet the Standards. HDAA strongly endorses these guidance materials and word templates for practices seeking support with preparing for accreditation.

Use this link to access the DIAS Standards 2015.

Use this link for the DIAS User Guide and templates (updated April 2020) for practices requiring accreditation and links to a number of templates can be accessed from the link above to DoH’s website.

Department of Health scheme updates and information:

Detail of the scheme, its back ground and purpose can be viewed on the Department of Health’s website.
DoH Fact Sheet – Strengthening the Provision of Quality Diagnostic Imaging Services. (June 2015)
DoH Information – Changes to DI Capital Sensitivity Measures (age of equipment). (May 2015)
DoH Fact Sheet – Cone Beam Computed Tomography (Changes under Medicare). (November 2014)
DoH Information – Diagnostic imaging Medicare item groups (June 2015)
DoH Advisory Statement A17/01 – Introduction of Adult Diagnostic Reference Levels for Nuclear Medicine. (August 2017)
DoH Advisory Statement A17/02 – Light based disinfection systems for use with ultrasound probes. (August 2017)
DoH Advisory Statement A 18/02 – Nuclear medicine imaging procedures: consent requirements for the administration of radiopharmaceuticals (April 2018)
DoH Advisory Statement A 18/03 – Clarification of consent requirements for transvaginal and transrectal ultrasound procedures (April 2018)
DoH Advisory Statement A 18/04 – Updated Diagnostic Reference Levels for CT (July 2018)
DoH Advisory Statement A18/05 – Clarification of evidentiary requirements for Standard 1.5,
DoH Advisory Statement A18/06 – Requirement for High Level Disinfection of Ultrasound Transducers
Advisory Statement A19/01 – Clarifying the Required Evidence for Standard 3.2, Optimised Radiation technique Charts (July 2019)
Advisory Statement A19/02 – New Reference for Disinfection Requirements in Standard 1.6, Healthcare Associated Infection (July 2019)
Advisory Statement A20/01 – Introduction of Diagnostic Reference Levels for Coronary Angiography (September 2020)

Looking for a Certified Provider?

Service providers accredited by HDAA at this link.