Quality & Safety

This site highlights quality and safety tools developed by AAPM committees for use by our members.

• Repository of TG-100 tools
  The Working Group on TG-100 Implementation has developed an online repository for the medical physics community to share tools and templates related to implementation of the TG-100 recommendations.
  
  
• Considerations for task delegation in clinical medical physics
  The Working Group on TG-100 Implementation has developed this brief 'tip sheet' to provide a suggested approach for Qualified Medical Physicists who are considering whether to delegate some tasks to technical support staff, consistent with existing AAPM guidance documents.
  
  
• ACR-AAPM Radiation Safety Officer Resources
  Essential information for radiation safety officers at medical imaging facilities.
  
  
• Safety is No Accident: A Framework for Quality Radiation Oncology and Care
  
  
• Practical suggestions for dipping your toe in the TG-100 waters
  The Working Group on Implementation of TG-100 has developed this 'tip sheet' based on feedback from the community regarding early experiences with implementation of the risk analysis methodology described in the TG-100 report.
  
  
• Tutorials on Integrating Formal Risk Management (TG-100) into your practice
  These short videos have been created by the Work Group on the Implementation of TG-100 to help AAPM members lead and participate in implementing formal risk management concepts into their clinics. Members are encouraged to use the videos with their teams.
  
  
• Radiation Oncology – Incident Learning System (RO-ILS)
  ASTRO and AAPM sponsor the national RO-ILS system. All members of the public are welcome to access guides, quarterly, and annual reports. These reports can be helpful in identifying opportunities for improvement in individual clinics. (WGROILS, WGPE)
  
  
• WGROILS Quality Improvement and Incident Learning Curriculum
  This curriculum, created by the AAPM Working Group on RO–ILS: Radiation Oncology Incident Learning System®, provides resources and experience in Quality Improvement and Incident Learning for Medical Physics and Radiation Oncology Residency Programs. Click here to access the curriculum.
  
  
• Safety Profile Assessment (SPA)
  This survey can be used by clinics to assess the safety profile of the department. Groups can use it to identify opportunities for improvement and can take it again to assess changes over time.
  
  
• Error Management and Patient Safety
  The following links are to documents and educational material in the area of error management and patient safety in radiotherapy. Suggestions for additional links to other relevant information should be made to the Chair of Working Group on the Prevention of Errors in Radiation Oncology.
  
  
• Simulated Error Training for the Physics Plan Review
  This site provides an overview, registration, and access to a simulation-based training module developed by the Working Group on the Prevention of Errors in Radiation Oncology. The purpose of the module is to improve the detection of radiotherapy errors through the development of a series of training datasets that allows for the practice of the initial physics plan review. The training module is implemented via Elekta's ProKnow platform.
  
  
• Responding to Public Radiation Incidents
  This site provides links for AAPM members to connect to information from different organizations related to responding to radiation incidents.
  
  
• IROC Houston QA Center
  This site connects you to the Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core formerly known as the Radiological Physics Center. The organization supports quality for clinical trials.
  
  
• Analysis of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic
  This site connects to published information from the collaborative quantitative analysis of normal tissue effects in the clinic (QUANTEC), the pediatric effort known as PENTEC and the hypofractionated effort known as HYTEC.