DOI: 10.1097/RTI.0b013e31824f4f83

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PMID: 22508090

Issn Print: 0883-5993

Publication Date: 2012/05/01


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“Quality Matters”

Phillip M. Boiselle

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Excerpt

In recent years, quality has moved beyond the confines of an individual radiologist's habits or customs to become an increasingly regulated component of radiology practice1,2 and an integral component of maintenance of board certification.3 Moreover, within the rapidly changing healthcare landscape, there is a movement to reward quality rather than quantity of care.4
Despite the growing salience of quality-related matters to the practice of radiology, it can be difficult for radiologists to find the best resources to guide them in quality management and improvement initiatives. In order to help narrow this resource gap, I am pleased to announce JTI's new “Quality Corner” on our website at www.thoracicimaging.com. This web-exclusive feature is a compilation of open-access educational resources that have been carefully selected by Dr Jeff Kanne. Jeff's practical experience and knowledge in the quality arena have provided him with the ideal background for editing this timely new compilation of quality resources, which include: (1) a collection of JTI articles devoted to quality topics, including quality management and radiation dose reduction; (2) succinct reviews of ACR Appropriateness Criteria® for cardiopulmonary imaging; (3) a blog series devoted to quality issues; (4) a list of suggested Practice Quality Improvement (PQI) projects in cardiopulmonary imaging; and (5) links to a variety of other open-access resources on quality matters. As noted by Jeff, the overarching goal of this new initiative is to “maintain a current and relevant repository of quality management resources focused on improving patient care and encouraging new approaches to quality in cardiopulmonary imaging.”
I would also like to bring to your attention a quality-related original research article in this issue by Dr Fintelmann and colleagues that describes the impact of a multifaceted quality assurance program upon reducing repeat rates in digital radiography.5 After reading this article, I suspect that many readers will be motivated to look into their own digital radiography repeat rates, a potentially hidden source of radiation exposure. In the months ahead, we will be publishing additional quality-related content, including new installments of the ACR Appropriateness Criteria® series and an exciting “Evidence-Based Imaging” symposium guest-edited by Dr Joe Schoepf.
In order to assist readers in developing a habit of continuous learning and improvement in quality matters, it is my goal for JTI to become a primary resource for quality-related cardiopulmonary imaging resources.

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