SU-E-I-50: The ACR CT Dose Index Registry: Implementation Challenges and Preliminary Data

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiology Informatics

Background:

• The American College of Radiology (ACR) CT Dose Index Registry (DIR) aims to collect and analyze CT dose data.
• Accurate dose reporting is crucial for patient safety and quality improvement in CT imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To successfully register an institution into the ACR CT Dose Index Registry (DIR).
• To identify and discuss technical and implementation challenges encountered during the registration process.
• To review preliminary dose data from the registry.

Main Methods:

• Utilized TRIAD software, the ACRIN's image acquisition and management system, for transmitting DICOM structured dose reports.
• Installed TRIAD on a virtual machine server to send anonymized and encrypted dose data from 6 CT scanners to the ACR.
• Collaborated with IT, PACS personnel, and physicists, addressing challenges like software installation, data transmission, and protocol unification via the Radlex playbook.

Main Results:

• Successfully transmitted and analyzed CT dose data (CTDIvol and DLP) to the ACR.
• Received the first comparative report, showing institutional median CTDIvol and DLP for CT head exams (44 mGy and 736 mGy-cm) against national averages (64 mGy and 844 mGy-cm).

Conclusions:

• The ACR CT DIR is a valuable tool for dose data mining and establishing national CT dose benchmarks.
• Sharing institutional experiences with DIR registration can help other facilities anticipate and overcome implementation challenges.