(Saturday, 4/7/2018)
Room: Foyer
Purpose: To simplify the recording and review of technologists’ quality control (QC) in computed tomography (CT) across multiple locations, to enable email-based alerts for missed QC, and to immediately identify out-of-range QC results using software available at our institution.
Methods: Daily, weekly, and monthly QC forms for the diagnostic CT scanners in our system were implemented with Microsoft Excel and hosted using our institution’s existing Microsoft SharePoint website. The QC site could be accessed by technologists, administrators, and physicists across our multiple sites, and versioning with timestamps was used to track changes. Conditional formatting was used to identify QC values that were outside their expected range. A Python script was utilized to trigger timely email alerts for missing QC to a qualified medical physicist (QMP) and the respective system’s lead technologist for follow-up. A dashboard was created using Excel-based indicators in SharePoint to give an overview of the QC status of the enterprise. QC Technologists’ feedback was used to refine the system and to implement improvements, such as including guidance for performing QC directly on the form.
Results: Email alerts allow missed QC tests to be corrected the same day instead of being discovered after their due date by a technologist or by the physicist’s periodic QC review. QC tests that are out of range are easily identified, and appropriate action can be taken. QC review by the QMP can be done remotely and more frequently, and preparation for regulatory inspections of QC logs has been simplified. Additionally, in two cases in the first six months of use, failing QC values gave an early indication of tube failure.
Conclusion: Using software available at our institution, we implemented a QC system that improves efficiency for technologists, lead technologists, and the QMP by giving timely on-screen and email-based feedback.
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