Global Outreach for Radiation Protection Program - Research Collaboration

Developing and Implementing a System for Quality and Safety in Women's Imaging in Qatar

A research project supported by the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) was approved in 2016 for a duration of three years. The project is a collaboration between Mass General and the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), a government entity that serves as the major medical service provider in Qatar and operates eight hospitals. It focuses on the paucity of information on image quality and radiation safety related to imaging women in Qatar.

The goals of the project are to 1) assess quality and safety in women's imaging in Qatar, 2) develop guidelines based on obtained data, 3) provide guidance on implementation of best practices and 4) reassess current practice. Areas of focus include breast imaging (e.g., mammography), imaging in pregnancy and inadvertent radiation exposure among women of childbearing age.

The project completed three years in Sept 2019 and following publications resulted:

• Evaluation of Radiation Dose for Patients Undergoing Mammography in Qatar
• Breast Cancer Detection in Qatar: Evaluation of Mammography Image Quality Using A Standardized Assessment Tool
• Multiphase Abdomen-Pelvis CT in Women of Childbearing Potential (WOCBP): Justification and Radiation Dose
• Use of Multiphase CT Protocols in 18 Countries: Appropriateness and Radiation Doses