EVALUATION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DAILY QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM ON THE QUALITY OF RADIOGRAPHIC IMAGES IN THE RADIOLOGY INSTALLATION OF EFARINA PANGKALAN KERINCI GENERAL HOSPITAL

Abstract

Radiographic image quality is a fundamental pillar for accurate and efficient disease diagnosis in clinical practice, with direct implications for diagnostic reliability, reduction of repeat examinations, and optimization of hospital operational costs. Implementing a daily quality control (QC) program in radiology facilities is not only crucial for minimizing unnecessary radiation exposure for patients and staff but also directly contributes to improving diagnostic reliability. Recent data indicate that the incidence of diagnostic errors, in part due to suboptimal image quality, remains a significant challenge in many healthcare facilities, which can result in treatment delays and poor clinical outcomes. Although the literature has extensively discussed the importance of QC, there remains a specific research gap regarding a comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of implementing a structured daily QC program, including aspects of compliance, implementation methods, and its impact on radiographic image quality parameters in the specific context of the Radiology Facilities of Efarina General Hospital, Pangkalan Kerinci. Therefore, this study aims to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate the effectiveness of the daily quality control program implemented in the installation in improving the quality of radiographic images, based on the theoretical framework of quality management principles in healthcare and national and international accreditation standards, and to hypothesize that a structured and consistent daily QC program will significantly improve the quality score of radiographic images. This study used a descriptive quantitative study design with a retrospective and prospective approach, involving 100 radiographic images from various modalities selected by simple random sampling from patient files during a period of 3 months before and 3 months after the implementation of the daily quality control program. The instrument used was a validated radiographic image quality assessment form based on standard diagnostic criteria, including sharpness, contrast, artifacts, and object position. The study procedures included image data collection, quality assessment by two experienced radiographers, and semi-structured interviews with radiology staff. Data analysis using descriptive and inferential statistics (independent t-test) showed that the implementation of a daily quality control program significantly increased the mean image quality score from 65.2 (SD=8.5) to 88.7 (SD=5.3) (t(198) = 22.5, p < 0.001), with a significant reduction in low-quality images from 30% to 5% (OR = 15.6, 95% CI [7.8, 31.2]), and the most notable improvements were in sharpness and artifact reduction. An unexpected finding was increased staff awareness and adherence to examination protocols. This study concluded that the daily quality control program was effective in improving radiographic image quality, providing a theoretical contribution to strengthening empirical evidence for quality management in radiology and a practical contribution for hospitals to maintain QC programs. Key recommendations include continued regular monitoring, ongoing training, and consideration of digital QC system integration.