Mistakes in the use of CT -- such as scanning the wrong patient or body part -- were reduced to zero in a group of more than 36,000 patients following implementation of a new CT quality control (QC) system at a California hospital, according to study featured at this week's American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) meeting in Toronto.
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center implemented a protocol that includes several levels of assessment, including reverification checklists, clarification of workflow, and individual accountability.
The protocol cut CT misadministration at the hospital from 18 instances in 60,999 exams to zero in 36,608 exams over the 10-month study period, the researchers found. The decrease in the incidence of CT misadministration was statistically significant (p = 0.0269).
"CT misadministration is an important and actionable quality issue, particularly in light of growing public concern about radiation exposure," said Dr. Patrick Do in a statement. "Our quality improvement analysis significantly reduced the rate of misadministration and potentially brings great benefits to patients, hospitals, and the public."
