WE‐G‐BRA‐05: IROC Houston On‐Site Audits and Parameters That Affect Performance

Abstract

Purpose:To highlight the IROC Houston on‐site dosimetry audit program, and to investigate the impact of clinical conditions on the frequency of errors/recommendations noted by IROC Houston.Methods:The results of IROC Houston on‐site audits from 2000‐present were abstracted and compared to clinical parameters, this included 409 institutions and 1020 linacs. In particular, we investigated the frequency of recommendations versus year, and the impact of repeat visits on the number of recommendations. We also investigated the impact on the number of recommendations of several clinical parameters: the number and age of the linacs, the linac/TPS combination, and the scope of the QA program.Results:The number of recommendations per institution (3.1 average) has shown decline between 2000 and present, although the number of recommendations per machine (0.89) has not changed. Previous IROC Houston site visits did not Result in fewer recommendations on a repeat visit, but IROC Houston tests have changed substantially during the last 15 years as radiotherapy technology has changed. There was no impact on the number of recommendations based on the number of machines at the institution or the age of a given machine. The fewest recommendations were observed for Varian‐Eclipse combinations (0.71 recs/machine), while Elekta‐ Pinnacle combinations yielded the most (1.62 recs/machine). Finally, in the TG‐142 era (post‐2010), those institutions that had a QA recommendation (n=77) had significantly more other recommendations (1.83 per institution) than those that had no QA rec (n=12, 1.33 per institution).Conclusion:Establishing and maintaining a successful radiotherapy program is challenging and areas of improvement can routinely be identified. Clinical conditions such as linac‐TPS combinations and the establishment of a good QA program impact the frequency of errors/deficiencies identified by IROC Houston during their on‐site review process.