The ACR–AAPM–SIIM Practice Guidelines for “Determinants of Image Quality in Digital Mammography,” “Digital Radiography,” and “Electronic Practice of Medical Imaging” represent the collaborative efforts of three organizations to develop educational tools to assist practitioners in providing appropriate radiologic care for patients. The original versions of the guidelines were developed a number of years ago when digital radiography techniques were just beginning to be widely used. They therefore contained a significant amount of basic explanations about technical details and terms in addition to the practical guidelines themselves. Given the changes in technology in recent years as well as the general sophistication of radiology regarding digital imaging technology and techniques, a decision was made in 2011 to revise these three sets of guidelines, updating them to reflect these advances and streamline them for easier use and interpretation.

For the effort, the three societies recruited representatives who had participated in the development of the original guidelines as well as new representatives to round out the required technical and clinical expertise. Over a period of about 6 months, the committees met by phone and corresponded by email to revise the guidelines. Material common to all three was primarily moved to the “Digital Radiography” document, and much of the very basic material that was deemed important for educational purposes when the guidelines were first created was removed. Once the committees completed the revisions, the documents were sent to each society for review and approval. They were also posted for public comment. Suggestions for revision were then reviewed by the committees and incorporated into the guidelines as deemed appropriate. The final versions were then approved for release.

All three guidelines are published in this issue of JDI in their original form and in a freely available format for all to read or download.