Significance of using DICOM communication standard in quality assurance in radiation oncology – an institutional experience
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2013 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Journal of BUON |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | http://www.jbuon.com/pdfs/1045-1047.pdf |
| Field | Oncology and hematology |
| Keywords | DICOM; medical errors; quality assurance; radiotherapy |
| Description | Purpose: The purpose of this article was to highlight the importance of data management systems in radiotherapy. Methods: We performed a database search to review the errors or potential errors in radiotherapy planning and delivery which could be prevented in case of using the DICOM communication system. Results: We registered the following rates of errors: 1) Errors caused by manual rewriting of treatment plan 30%; 2) Errors caused by wrong assignment of the verification system 15%; 3) Errors during the manual rewriting of treatment data to the verification system 15%; 4) Patient identification 5%; 5) Field verification 15% 6) Wedge orientation 10% Conclusion: DICOM communication system may significantly improve the quality assurance in radiotherapy. |