ESR@Work July 2016
EuroSafe Imaging subgroups (2016-2017)
Over the last few months, EuroSafe Imaging has added a number of dedicated working groups to implement the campaign’s priority actions. In this month’s ESR@Work, we would like to introduce the EuroSafe Imaging Subgroups and the work they do to promote quality and safety in medical imaging.
- Appropriate Image Quality
| Lead | Wolfram | Stiller |
| Radiation Protection Subcommittee | Reinhard | Loose |
| Member | Christoph | Hoeschen |
| Member | Katia | Katsari |
| Member | David | Koff |
| Education Committee | Laura | Oleaga |
| CIRSE representative | Dimitrios | Tsetis |
| ESPR representative | Claudio | Granata |
| ESGAR representative | Sebastian | Schindera |
| ESSR representative | John | Damilakis |
| ESTI representative | Denis | Tack |
| EFRS representative | Louise | Rainford |
The EuroSafe Imaging Subgroup on Appropriate Image Quality is developing definitions of ‘appropriate image quality’ by expert-panels on a per-organ-basis for those CT imaging tasks deemed to be clinically most relevant. To this end, the subgroup works to identify suitable criteria for judging the appropriateness of image quality for a certain CT imaging task, thereby enabling a grading or rating of completed CT examinations with regard to the appropriateness of IQ achieved in view of diagnostic confidence.
The main task of the subgroup is to identify a set of suitable criteria for judging the appropriateness of image quality for a certain CT imaging task. On this basis, the group will develop a questionnaire template for an imaging task-specific identification of the determinants of image quality appropriateness together with a corresponding procedure for questionnaire analysis.
The results thereof will be used for an imaging task-specific establishment of links between image quality appropriateness criteria and measurable quantitative image quality metrics, such that an automated grading or rating of completed CT examinations with regard to the appropriateness of IQ achieved in view of diagnostic confidence can be achieved.
- Clinical DRLs
| Lead | Peter | Vock |
| Member | Guy | Frija |
| Member | Graciano | Paulo |
| Member | John | Damilakis |
| Member | Reinhard | Loose |
| Member | Laura | Oleaga |
| observer | Georgi | Simeonov |
This subgroup aims at establishing a first complete set of EuroSafe Imaging Clinical DRLs by ECR 2017 in March, as well as preparing further prospective data collection. Work will focus on CT.
Strong interaction with the EuroSafe Imaging Stars network and regular contacts with the subgroup on Appropriate Image Quality are envisaged.
A list of clinical CT indications was already established. The survey to collect data from EuroSafe Imaging Stars is in preparation. Participants may respond to all questions, or just to questions related to selected clinical indications. The survey results will be presented during ECR 2017.
- European CT Dose Repository
| Lead | Emanuele | Neri |
| Member | Davide | Caramella |
| Member | Graciano | Paulo |
| Member | John | Damilakis |
| Member | Alberto | Torresin |
This subgroup analyses tools for automatic dose monitoring and identifies the most frequent pitfalls. Recommendations will be provided to radiologists to assure the reliability of statistics obtained from dose monitoring systems.
For this purpose, a survey is being designed to collect data on the availability of dose monitoring systems, to analyse the current use of IT tools and their impact in CT protocol optimisation, as well as the detection of the most frequent pitfalls of automatic dose monitoring.
The survey results will be published as a recommendations paper and include information on how to improve the CT dosimetric behaviors in radiological departments with the help of IT tools (protocol optimisation, real time monitoring, personnel internal audits) and how to make the best use of IT tools in CT (standards, quality control by dedicated staff, business analytics).
- Ask EuroSafe Imaging
| Lead | Graciano | Paulo |
| Member CT | Dean | Pekarovic |
| Member CT | Mika | Kortesniemi |
| Member CT | Alban | Gervaise |
| Member IR | Werner | Jaschke |
| Member IR | Marion | Maher |
| Member IR | Annalisa | Trianni |
| Member paediatrics | Claudio | Granata |
| Member paediatrics | Joana | Santos |
| Member paediatrics | Elina | Samara |
Part of EuroSafe Imaging’s mission is to improve information for professionals and patients. For this purpose, three Ask EuroSafe Imaging groups, each composed of a radiologist, a medical physicist and a radiographer, have been established for the areas of CT, interventional radiology and paediatric imaging. These working groups deal with requests received via the Ask EuroSafe Imaging enquiry form and produce an online FAQ document and Tips & Tricks based on these questions.