The study reports primary radiation dose index distributions for over 50,000 individual FGI procedures from 61 fluoroscopes across 10 pilot sites. The procedures were mapped to one of 100 procedure types using the ACR Common ontology. The study compares dose indices from DIR-Fluoro to Diagnostic Reference Level values and two, large single-site studies published in the past two decades, noting an overall trend of lower patient dose indices over the years.
According to A. Kyle Jones, PhD, primary author of the paper, “The DIR-Fluoro pilot is one of the largest multisite studies of fluoroscopy dose indices ever published, and it represents a living normative dataset for FGI and soon diagnostic fluoroscopy.” Jones continues, “When comparing the data from DIR-Fluoro to other recent studies, we noted substantial variability in dose indices for similar procedure types by geographic region, which highlights the importance of increasing the rate of participation in DIR-Fluoro. Having nationally representative participation in the registry will allow us to continue publishing high-quality benchmark data and use these data to establish national DRL values.”
Participating in the DIR Fluoroscopy Module
This study is an example of the importance of the ACR DIR in helping to set the standard for quality imaging and patient safety. The DIR-Fluoro module, which is now open for broad participation, enables facilities to submit fluoroscopy dose indices data and compare their data to national benchmarks. DIR-Fluoro is free to all existing DIR participants and all General Radiology Improvement Database participants.The increasing scope and number of FGI performed over the past decade makes participation in DIR-Fluoro an important step for practices to enhance the safety and quality of patient care. Learn more about the features and capabilities of the DIR-Fluoro module.