Training, competency, and credentialing standards for carotid stenting.
Appropriate and adequate training is the hallmark of modern medical care. The foundation of medical education in the United States is accredited medical schools combined with formal residencies and fellowship training programs. This concept has been officially recognized by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education, the Federal Licensing Examination, all state medical boards, the federal government, and all medical professions and societies. Appropriate medical education is of utmost importance for procedures and therapies that offer the greatest risk to patients. There is little doubt that any procedure that has "stroke" as a defined potential risk would qualify as one that should require formal, adequate, and officially provided education. Hospitals and accrediting authorities such as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations are obligated to ensure adequate standards of patient care in the United States.