title: A comparative study of quality control in diagnostic radiology.
abstract: The main objective of this comparative study was to evaluate the national quality assurance program for X-ray diagnostic radiology in Syrian governmental hospitals. Two periods were covered in this study, the first period was from 1986 to 1998 (52 hospitals and 149 X-ray machines were considered) and the second period from 1999 to 2005 (41 hospitals and 95 X-ray machines were considered). Most of the X-ray machines studied were within the acceptable performance, but few machines needed recalibration for some parameters. Considerable improvement of about 50% was reported in the second period. This improvement could be attributed to the establishment of an effective National Regulatory Authority in Syria in 1998 that introduced and gradually enforced the quality assurance requirement for X-ray equipment as part of the licensing process and to the relatively newer X-ray machines covered in the second period.
authors.affiliation: Protection and Safety Department, Atomic Energy Commission, PO Box 6091, Damascus, Syria. scientific1@aec.org.sy
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kharita
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Khedr
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Wannus
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011786:Quality Control; D011871:Radiology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011872:Radiology Department, Hospital / Q000592:standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013593:Syria; D013997:Time Factors; D014965:X-Rays