Weigh in on the Future of Medical Measurement Standards: NIST and NIH Seek Input by November 30

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), are seeking feedback from organizations, companies, and individuals to inform a roadmap on medical metrology and standards in medical imaging, devices, diagnostics, and therapy.

Why Measurement Standards Matter

Metrology is the science of making precise, reproducible measurements with well-defined uncertainties. Measurement standards help assure that medical measurements are accurate, precise, and comparable from one site to the next, and that they stay reliable over time. This matters because these measurements are essential for accurate screening and diagnosis and for planning and applying therapy.

What NIST and NIH Want to Know

The agencies note that as medical technology and artificial intelligence advance rapidly, future requirements for medical metrology and standards may change considerably.

NIST and NIH are seeking information on the following topics, including but not limited to:

• Areas where improved medical measurements are needed in medical imaging, devices, diagnostics, and therapy, and how to provide the standards and validation those measurements require
• New measurement areas, not currently addressed, that future standards efforts should cover
• Changes to the medical metrology and standards process that could support better, more cost-effective healthcare as technology rapidly changes and AI is incorporated
• Examples of how medical metrology and standards have improved diagnostics, therapeutic outcomes, and cost efficiency, as well as examples of where they have been detrimental

Shape the Roadmap: How to Submit Comments

Feedback will shape a joint NIST and NIBIB roadmap that will identify future needs for medical metrology and standards, identify key stakeholders, and provide guidance for future government programs. Comments must be submitted online through regulations.gov (docket number NIST-2026-0133) by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 30, 2026.

Read more in the September 18 Federal Register notice.