Review of relationships between physical measurements and user evaluation of image quality

Some of the findings of a review of the relationship between physical measurements and clinical image quality have been summarised. Mixed results were found: some studies had no relationship at presently typical dose levels, whereas others had a clear correlation between them. It is concluded that the various image quality evaluation tasks in an X-ray department are best done by different methods. Presently, exact physical measurements cannot supersede subjective evaluation in judging the acceptability of clinical images, whereas they are indispensable in specification and testing of technical performance.