Implementation of QA and QC standards in radiology in Slovakia

The Slovak government organizes the radiation protection policy through its regulatory authorities within the Ministry of Health, on a central level. The health protection regulations are compatible with international standards and recommendations of the ICRP and the EC. The general requirements on quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) (acceptance, constancy and routine tests), the guidance levels for various types of radiological examinations and the instructions for optimisation procedures are supported by Slovak technical standards, compatible with European standards. But the QA/QC process, as well as the training of the staff, needs improvement. The Slovak Medical University participates in the QA implementation through organising and managing national audits for control of the QA programme. In this paper, we present results of patient dose measurement studies carried out in the Slovak Republic, in the framework of activities of the Slovak Commission of QA established by the Slovak Ministry of Health.