RAD 896 - Quality Assurance

1. Collaborate with peers to mentor and strengthen relationships and administer advice to help better prepare first year radiology students for the program and clinical.
2. Describe the need for quality management, and explain the difference between assurance, control, and management along with the overview of process and government regulation.
3. Explain quality management tools and procedures
4. Distinguish quality control of x-ray generators and ancillary radiographic equipment
5. Identify quality control of fluoroscopic equipment
6. Understand and apply digital and advanced imaging equipment and an overview of their quality control
7. Understand outcomes assessment of radiographic imaging
8. Review the physics of radiology and the equipment operation and quality control

Course Objectives:

Unit 1 - Rad Buddies: Collaborate with peers to mentor and strengthen relationships and administer advice to help better prepare first year radiology students for the program and clinical.

• Develop a personal philosophy on professionalism
• Discuss collaborating with team members and patients through effective communication
• Differentiate accommodating changes in clinical for patients
• Identify ethical responsibilities of the profession
• Discuss beginning knowledge and skill for an entry level radiology technology professional
• Communicate with your Rad Buddy to establish a relationship and get to know them on a professional level
• Establish how to accommodate different personalities and traits in the clinical setting
• Discuss study habits, time commitments, test taking skills and what to expect from the program

Unit 2 - Describe the need for quality management, and explain the difference between assurance, control, and management along with the overview of process and government regulation.

• Define quality assurance, quality control and quality management
• Identify the history and changes happening in quality management
• Know air, droplet, and contact precautions OSHA enforces
• Describe benefits of a quality management program to the patient, to the imaging department, and to the radiographer
• Compare the impact of Government regulation and The Joint Commission accreditation on QM
• Explain quality control and its levels of testing in radiology
• Identify the five steps of a Process • List the various tools of group dynamics
• Describe TJC 10-step monitoring and evaluation
• Label and create a SWOT analysis for a radiology department

Unit 3 - Explain quality management tools and procedures

• Identify the four main components of a quality management program
• List the basic administrative responsibilities of a quality management program
• Describe record keeping associated with a quality management program
• Identify the components of a risk management program
• Describe and discuss implementation of a radiation safety program
• Describe radiation safety protocols for patients and radiation personnel
• Demonstrate and complete a repeat analysis and list reasons for repeat analysis implementation
• Identify methods used to conduct a repeat analysis and the formulas for calculating graphing results
• Develop a repeat analysis, causal and total repeat rate for students’ personal practices

Unit 4 - Distinguish quality control of x-ray generators and ancillary radiographic equipment.

• Identify single-phase, three phase, and high-frequency generators and their waveforms
• List the three main parts of a quality control program for radiographic equipment
• Describe performance tests for radiographic equipment
• Identify all variability allowances for x-ray equipment
• Describe the main components of automatic exposure control systems
• Summarize the importance of grid uniformity and alignment on image quality
• Identify and memorize statistics of quality control normal

Unit 5 - Identify quality control of fluoroscopic equipment

• List the main components of modern fluoroscopic equipment, specifically, image intensifiers
• Describe brightness control of fluoroscopic images
• Describe methods for monitoring fluoroscopic images
• Perform visual and environmental inspection of a fluoroscopic system
• List and describe the performance tests for fluoroscopic equipment
• Identify and memorize statistics of quality control normals

Unit 6 - Understand and apply digital and advanced imaging equipment and an overview of their quality control

• Describe the basic methods of obtaining digital radiographs
• Explain the differences between film and digital radiography
• Identify the QC procedures for evaluating digital radiographic systems
• Describe basic methods of obtaining digital fluoroscopic images
• Illustrate the data management that goes along with quality assurance.
• Describe QC procedures for evaluating digital fluoroscopy.
• List the various types of electronic display devices and QC procedures.
• Identify the basic image archiving and management networks and applicable QC procedures.

Unit 7 - Understand outcomes assessment of radiographic imaging/ Review the physics of radiology and the equipment operation and quality control.

• Explain the importance of repeat analysis
• Show understanding of a repeat analysis and the different types
• Identify artifacts that appear in radiographic images
• Explain the difference between the concepts of accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity
• Determine the differences between acquisition, processing, and display of an image
• Identify artifacts in CR and DR imaging systems
• Understand the basics of radiographic physics
• Show the radiographic x-ray circuit and how they pertain to transformers and rectifiers
• Explain the different parts and structure of the x-ray tube
• Explain equipment calibration: kVp, mAs, timer, beam restriction, x-ray tube overload protection, and reproducibility
• Define terms related to digital imaging
• Describe contrast in both film and digital imaging