Web-based platform for patient dose surveys in diagnostic and interventional radiology in Bulgaria: Functionality...

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiological Protection
• Health Informatics

Background:

• National patient dose surveys are crucial for optimizing radiation protection in medical imaging.
• Establishing Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) requires standardized data collection.
• Bulgaria aimed to enhance its national radiation dose monitoring capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a web-based platform for national patient dose surveys in Bulgaria.
• To facilitate the establishment and monitoring of Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs).
• To improve data collection efficiency and standardization for radiological procedures.

Main Methods:

• Development of a web-based platform accessible via internet browser.
• Creation of electronic questionnaires for various radiological examinations (radiography, fluoroscopy, mammography, CT, interventional procedures).
• Provision of user manuals to guide data entry and minimize errors.

Main Results:

• A functional web-based platform was successfully developed and implemented for national patient dose surveys.
• The platform is currently utilized for Bulgaria's third national dose survey.
• Standardized data collection facilitates analysis and allows facilities to compare their dose levels with established DRLs.

Conclusions:

• The developed web platform is effective for national patient dose surveys and DRL establishment.
• The platform promotes data standardization, aiding in radiation dose optimization.
• Future upgrades for automatic data harvesting are planned to address manual data entry limitations.