Understanding your facility report

 

About the MDCT facility data report

The National Diagnostic Reference Level MDCT Data Report enables each facility to document and record a facility reference level (FRL) for individual scanners, protocols and age groups.

For facilities with more than one scanner at the one location (i.e. same LSPN)

• A facility reference level is defined by the protocol chosen, the age group and the scanner it was acquired on. Therefore, an LSPN with multiple scanners could have multiple FRLs for the same age group and protocol. Each individual FRL should then be compared against the Australian National DRL.

The purpose of the report is to provide a record of the range of doses submitted for the specific acquisition protocol you used for that group of patients. The principal measures of dose and their units are the dose length product (DLP in mGy.cm) and the volume computed tomography dose index (CTDI_vol in mGy).

The facility report comprises four pages, provided in an easy to understand format.

Page 1

The first page shows the following details:

• The name of the facility.
• The anatomical protocol chosen, e.g. Chest.
• The make and model of the scanner.
• The age group of the patients surveyed.
• The date you started and submitted the survey.

Example

 

 

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Survey Outcome Table

• The Survey Outcome Table shows your Facility Reference Level measures (in terms of DLP and CTDI_vol), for the specific protocol, as well as the relevant Australian National DRL.
• A comment is also shown comparing your FRL to the Australian National DRL.
• The Survey Outcome Table also shows the median patient weight in your sample data, compared to the range of median weights submitted to the National Diagnostic Reference Level Service, for the specific protocol.

Example

 

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DRL summary table

This table summarises the Australian National DRLs for the relevant Age Group in terms of DLP and CTDI_vol

Example

 

Pages 2 and 3

Bar graphs

• The bar graphs show the number of patients who received the submitted DLP and CTDI_vol for the specific protocol for your practice and for Australian National data.
• The vertical blue solid line represents your Facility Reference Level whilst the vertical red broken line represents the Australian DRL for the relevant Age Group.
• These graphics demonstrate how the spread of DLP and CTDI_vol from your surveys compare to the spread of DLP and CTDI_vol from the Australian National data.
• If your FRL is above the Australian National DRL and this dose level cannot be clinically justified, then you should consider optimising your exposure protocols.

Example

 

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Page 4

The fourth page shows a record of the technical scan parameters and patient data that you submitted for that individual anatomical protocol.

You can cross reference the individual patient data with the corresponding graphs shown on pages two and three.

Example