Quality management systems in radiology

Abstract

Rapid advances in medical imaging evince a consequent need for timely and high-quality anatomical information of the subject's body. High disease prevalence and the population explosion are additional compounding factors that increase the workload upon an insufficient number of skilled medical personnel, especially in developing countries. [1,2] The performance and financial circumstances of radiology departments in the healthcare systems of Level four (HCL IV) countries [3] may be compromising the quality of patient care because of a low appreciation of quality management in operational efficiency, image quality and patient radiation dose. There is therefore a need to benchmark the level of quality management systems to provide evidence-based records aimed at improving safety and ensuring quality healthcare. In Kenya, few studies on quality management in radiology have been reported, [4] despite the need for in-depth studies to develop effective, efficient and sustainable programmes commensurate with the socio-economic status of the country. The broad legal requirements for quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) of medical imaging equipment and ancillary equipment exist in most developed countries. [5-9] Developing countries have yet to fully establish adequate guidelines to match those in developed countries, especially for X-ray equipment performance and image quality criteria, inter alia. [10,11] In addition, a shortage of data from developing countries means that information is absent about radiology QA procedures, the organisational framework for the performance of QC tests, evaluation and institution of corrective measures. The present study was therefore initiated to benchmark the national quality management system (QMS) and compare the results with established international safety standards from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), the Health Protection Agency (HPA) in the UK, the Commission of European Communities (CEC), and the American College of Radiology (ACR).