title: Analysis of regional radiotherapy dosimetry audit data and recommendations for future audits.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Regional interdepartmental dosimetry audits within the UK provide basic assurances of the dosimetric accuracy of radiotherapy treatments.
  
  
  METHODS
  This work reviews several years of audit results from the South East Central audit group including megavoltage (MV) and kilovoltage (kV) photons, electrons and iodine-125 seeds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Apart from some minor systematic errors that were resolved, the results of all audits have been within protocol tolerances, confirming the long-term stability and agreement of basic radiation dosimetric parameters between centres in the audit region. There is some evidence of improvement in radiation dosimetry with the adoption of newer codes of practice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The value of current audit methods and the limitations of peer-to-peer auditing is discussed, particularly the influence of the audit schedule on the results obtained, where no "gold standard" exists. Recommendations are made for future audits, including an essential requirement to maintain the monitoring of basic fundamental dosimetry, such as MV photon and electron output, but audits must also be developed to include new treatment technologies such as image-guided radiotherapy and address the most common sources of error in radiotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics Department, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, Portsmouth, UK. antony.palmer@porthosp.nhs.uk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mzenda
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kearton
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wills
mesh_terms: D004583:Electrons; D004739:England; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008485:Medical Audit / Q000592:standards*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage / Q000592:standards*
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes