Quality management systems are essential and should be maintained with the intent to continuously improve effectiveness and efficiency, enabling nuclear medicine to achieve the expectations of its quality policy, satisfy its customers and improve professionalism. The quality management (QM) audit methodology in nuclear medicine practice, introduced in this publication, is designed to be applied to a variety of economic circumstances. A key outcome is a culture of reviewing all processes of the clinical service for continuous improvement in nuclear medicine practice. Regular quality audits and assessments are vital for modern nuclear medicine services. More importantly, the entire QM and audit process has to be systematic, patient oriented and outcome based. The management of services should also take into account the diversity of nuclear medicine services around the world and multidisciplinary contributions. The latter include clinical, technical, radiopharmaceutical, medical physics and radiation safety procedures.

This volume, developed by the Observatory together with OECD, provides an overall conceptual framework for understanding and applying strategies aimed at improving quality of care. Crucially, it summarizes available evidence on different quality strategies and provides recommendations for their implementation. This book is intended to help policy-makers to understand concepts of quality and to support them to evaluate single strategies and combinations of strategies.

A quality health service, as defined by the World Health Organization, ‘is one which organizes resources in the most effective way to meet the health needs of those most in need, for prevention and care, safely, without waste and within higher level requirements’. As health care standards improve globally, providing an optimal service that meets international standards and public expectations requires effective quality management. The process of quality improvement aims at defining, measuring and setting quality standards, and overcoming the associated challenges that include rising costs and skills shortages. The objective of this publication is to provide a framework for quality management systems (QMSs) to be implemented, managed and sustained holistically in nuclear medicine departments. It builds upon the IAEA’s QUANUM program, which has successfully been implemented in more than 80 countries worldwide.

Quality management (QM) is essential for modern nuclear medicine departments. This publication presents a method of conducting a systematic annual audit process. A key outcome of the QM methodology should be a culture of reviewing essential elements of the clinical service. Each chapter of this publication is set out as a series of questions related to specific components of the nuclear medicine service.

Medical imaging is crucial in a variety of medical settings and at all levels of health care. In public health and preventive medicine as well as in both curative and palliative care, effective decisions depend on correct diagnoses. This edition addresses the most current needs and offers guidance on clinical practice, radiation safety and patient protection, human resource development and training required for the overall practice of nuclear medicine.

This comprehensive textbook provides a state of the art overview of the means by which quality in patient care is ensured within the field of nuclear medicine. Acknowledged experts in the field cover both management aspects, such as laws, standards, guidelines, patient safety, management instruments, and organisations, and specific issues, including radiation safety and equipment. Quality in Nuclear Medicine not only presents detailed information on the topics discussed but should also stimulate further discussion and offer an important tool to all professionals in the field of nuclear medicine and their stakeholders. Readers will find that the book provides a wealth of excellent guidance and reflects the pioneering role of nuclear medicine in advancing different aspects of quality within medicine.

Quality assurance (QA) is a crucial part of all aspects of nuclear medicine practice. The objective of this publication is to provide professionals in nuclear medicine centers with detailed quality control test procedures for the scintillation camera and computer system. Three types of quality tests are described in detail: acceptance, reference and routine tests for the scintillation camera, both in single and multiple head configurations, for obtaining images and quantitative data in planar imaging mode; whole body imaging mode; and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The publication is primarily intended to be of use to medical physicists, technologists, and other healthcare professionals who are responsible for ensuring optimal performance of imaging instruments, particularly SPECT systems. It may also be useful to managers, clinicians, and other decision-makers who are responsible for implementing quality assurance and quality control programs in nuclear medicine c