AN OVERVIEW OF PROTOCOL FOR QUALITY CONTROL TESTS FOR DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY APPLIED BY ALBMEDTECH
Creators: name: DAFINA XHAKO
name: NIKO HYKA
name: SUELA HOXHAJ
name: ELDA SPAHIU
name: PARTIZAN MALKAJ
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Quality Assurance, Radiology, Diagnostic, Quality Control, Albmedtech, AAMP.

description: Abstract
The diagnostic radiology service, play a crucial role in examinations of patients with different diseases, being in some cases the main and only method in determining the diagnosis. Actually, medical imaging technology has evolved exponentially where multidetector row computed tomography, sophisticated angiography systems, AI algorithms and automation are being widely used. During a diagnostic procedure, the physical properties of X rays are used to obtain a diagnosis or to guide invasive devices through the body when an interventional procedure is performed. A malfunction of an X ray system can increase the radiation dose and affect the health of patients.  For this reason, X ray machines are monitored periodically through strict quality control. To ensure that a X ray machine works in accordance with accordance with the clinical objective, national and international standards, thus providing diagnostic information of the required quality with the lowest patient exposure, it is necessary to design and implement the protocols for quality assurance and quality control to provide the information of optimal performance of a X ray equipment. These QA and QC tests of verifying accuracy of the voltage (kV), the stability of the repetition of the values of the voltage dependence of the power voltage change, the overall filtering and the exposure time etc., also helps the medical institutions to invest in maintenance of the diagnostics systems to meet the requirement approved by national and international bodies or organizations. In our country, a significant number of X ray systems used in diagnostic radiology departments are now part of a regular quality assurance program, under the monitoring and approval of the Albanian Radiation Protection Commission. In this work we represent a detailed procedure for QA and QC performance of X ray systems followed by Albanian Medical Technology (Albmedtech), which was drafted and improved in cooperation with the staff of Albmedtech based on the legal and by-laws in force as well as the logistical capacities that Albmedtech has in use. The need for such cooperation comes during the development of the project "Development of simulation and forecasting models and integration with the TCIA database of medical images", where in some diagnostic centers, especially public ones, a low level of awareness of the personnel was observed because of regarding the functional parameters of radiological equipment. the study showed that overall, the level of. Also, we analyze the diagnostic system in Albania by collecting information from the public and private sectors and presented a general picture of the situation of diagnostic equipment in Albania compared to OECD and COCIR standards. To address this issue, in collaboration with Albmedtech and Albanian Association of Medical Physics (AAMP), we supported the strengthening quality assurance and quality control in X ray diagnostics and in applying best practices for quality and safety in diagnostic radiology. Also, we developed a quality control procedure for diagnostic radiology equipment taking into consideration all the latest developments in the field, in order to have a better operation.