Hutchinson D E, Cobb B J, Jacob C S
Radiation Health Section, Health Department of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia.
Appl Radiat Isot. 1999 Jan;50(1):237-45. doi: 10.1016/s0969-8043(98)00027-x.
Compliance testing is nominally that part of a quality assurance program dealing with those aspects of X-ray equipment performance that are subject to radiation control legislation. Quality assurance programs for medical X-ray equipment should be an integral part of the quality culture in health care. However while major hospitals and individual medical centers may implement such programs with some diligence, much X-ray equipment can remain unappraised unless there is a comprehensive regulatory inspection program or some form of compulsion on the equipment owner to implement a testing program. Since the late 1950s all X-ray equipment in the State of Western Australia has been inspected by authorized officers acting on behalf of the Radiological Council, the regulatory authority responsible for administration of the State's Radiation Safety Act. However, economic constraints, coupled with increasing X-ray equipment numbers and a geographically large State have significantly affected the inspection rate. Data available from inspections demonstrate that regular compliance and performance checks are essential in order to ensure proper performance and to minimize unnecessary patient and operator dose. To ensure that diagnostic X-ray equipment complies with accepted standards and performance criteria, the regulatory authority introduced a compulsory compliance testing program for all medical, dental and chiropractic diagnostic X-ray equipment effective from 1 January 1997.
合规性测试名义上是质量保证计划的一部分，涉及X射线设备性能中受辐射控制法规约束的那些方面。医用X射线设备的质量保证计划应成为医疗保健质量文化的一个组成部分。然而，虽然大型医院和个别医疗中心可能会较为认真地实施此类计划，但许多X射线设备可能仍未得到评估，除非有全面的监管检查计划，或者对设备所有者有某种形式的强制要求以实施测试计划。自20世纪50年代末以来，西澳大利亚州的所有X射线设备均由代表放射委员会（负责管理该州《辐射安全法》的监管机构）的授权官员进行检查。然而，经济限制，再加上X射线设备数量不断增加以及该州地域广阔，已严重影响了检查率。检查获得的数据表明，定期进行合规性和性能检查对于确保设备正常运行以及尽量减少患者和操作人员不必要的剂量至关重要。为确保诊断用X射线设备符合公认标准和性能标准，监管机构于1997年1月1日起对所有医疗、牙科和脊椎按摩疗法诊断用X射线设备实施了强制性合规性测试计划。
