Definition of Medical Event: ASTRO Report
According to § 35.2 (Definitions) of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), a medical event means an event that meets the criteria in § 35.3045 (Records and Notifications of a Medical Event). § 35.3045(a) states, in part, a licensee “shall report any event, except for an event that results from patient intervention, in which the administration of byproduct material or […]
A 2-Yr. Review of NRC Brachytherapy Events
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) oversees medical uses of nuclear material through licensing, inspection, and enforcement programs. An article published in Practical Radiation Oncology1 describes a review of brachytherapy errors reported by licensees to the NRC. The article classified and evaluated the types and numbers of reported brachytherapy errors over a 2-year period of time. The […]
Six Sigma Tools for Patient Safety in Rad Onc
Six sigma originated as a set of practices designed to improve manufacturing processes and eliminate defects. It applications, over time, have extended to radiation oncology. This article published in Practical Radiation Oncology1 looks at establishing the principles of six sigma to improve patient safety in a paperless environment at multiple radiation oncology sites. The article describes […]
