Medical Imaging Repository Contributions for Radiation Protection Key Performance Indicators

Abstract

The data stored in the different information systems supporting the medical imaging departments are crucial for de development of Performance Key Indicators (KPI), namely in the radiation protection scope. One of the data sources pertinent for the development of these KPI, is the Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) metadata related to medical imaging studies stored in Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS). The study reported by this paper aimed to evaluate the adequacy of DICOM metadata stored in a healthcare institution PACS to implement some KPI related to radiological protection suggested by the European Society of Radiology and the European Federation of Radiographer Societies. Data produced by 30 medical imaging devices from different manufactures related to six medical modalities (i.e., Computed Tomography, Computed Radiography, Digital Radiography, X-Ray angiography, Radio Fluoroscopy and Mammography) were analyzed. Although, a significant number of KPI can be supported by DICOM metadata, the respective compliance depends on each modality image IOD. As future work, strategies must be defined to allow access and aggregation of public and private DICOM attributes as well as attributes of the Radiation Dose Structured Report and other hospital information systems for the development of KPI to reliably characterize the exposure to ionizing radiation during medical imaging studies.