title: Medical physicists' implication in radiological diagnostic procedures: results after 1 y of experience.
abstract: Since January 2008-de facto 2012-medical physics experts (MPEs) are, by law, to be involved in the optimisation process of radiological diagnostic procedures in Switzerland. Computed tomography, fluoroscopy and nuclear medicine imaging units have been assessed for patient exposure and image quality. Large spreads in clinical practice have been observed. For example, the number of scans per abdominal CT examination went from 1 to 9. Fluoroscopy units showed, for the same device settings, dose rate variations up to a factor of 3 to 7. Quantitative image quality for positron emission tomography (PET)/CT examinations varied significantly depending on the local image reconstruction algorithms. Future work will be focused on promoting team cooperation between MPEs, radiologists and radiographers and on implementing task-oriented objective image quality indicators.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Radiation Physics, Lausanne University Hospital, Rue du Grand-Pré 1, Lausanne CH-1007, Switzerland nick.ryckx@chuv.ch.
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ryckx
authors.affiliation: Institute of Radiation Physics, Lausanne University Hospital, Rue du Grand-Pré 1, Lausanne CH-1007, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Silvano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gnesin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Radiation Physics, Lausanne University Hospital, Rue du Grand-Pré 1, Lausanne CH-1007, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Reto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meuli
authors.affiliation: Institute of Radiation Physics, Lausanne University Hospital, Rue du Grand-Pré 1, Lausanne CH-1007, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Elandoy
authors.affiliation: Institute of Radiation Physics, Lausanne University Hospital, Rue du Grand-Pré 1, Lausanne CH-1007, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Francis R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Verdun
mesh_terms: D005104:Expert Testimony / Q000379:methods*; D005471:Fluoroscopy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006283:Health Physics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration; D013557:Switzerland; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*