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Lee, Park, Kim, Ko, Chu, Park, and Choi: The First Report on Evaluating the Thoracic Radiology of the Medical Institutions for Pneumoconiosis in Korea
Chest Radiology
Original Article

Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology 2010; 63(5): 431-438.

Published online: 30 November 2010

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3348/jksr.2010.63.5.431

The First Report on Evaluating the Thoracic Radiology of the Medical Institutions for Pneumoconiosis in Korea

Won-Jeong Lee, DrPH., Jai Soung Park, M.D.2, Sung Jin Kim, M.D.3, Kyung-Sun Ko, M.D.4, Sang-Deok Chu, M.D., So Young Park, M.D., Byung-Soon Choi, M.D., DrPH.

1Occupational Lung Diseases Institute, COMWEL, Korea.

2Department of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Korea.

3Department of Radiology, Chungbuk University Hospital, Korea.

4Center for Occupational Disease Research, OSHRI, Korea.

Address reprint requests to: Won-Jeong Lee, DrPH., Clinical Research Team, Occupational Lung diseases Institute, COMWEL, 95, Il-dong, Sangnok-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do 426-858, Korea. Tel. 82-31-5001-806, Fax. 82-31-5001-811, atomlwj@kmedi.or.kr

Received 13 April 2010       Accepted 27 July 2010

Copyright © 2010 The Korean Society of Radiology

Abstract

Purpose

The pnuemoconiotic findings on chest radiograph for pneumoconiosis are affected by the technique, the equipment and the reading environment. We report here on the results of evaluating the thoracic radiology of the Medical Institutions for Pneumoconiosis (MIPs).

Materials and Methods

For the first time, we visited the MIPs to evaluate the thoracic radiography that is used to treat patients with pneumoconiotic complications, and this included evaluating the equipment and the technical parameters for thoracic radiography, the computed tomography, the education for quality assurance health care and the reading environment. We used the guideline published by the Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute (OSHRI). Ten images were randomly picked from the MIPs for evaluating the image quality, and then these were rated by two experienced chest radiologists for pneumoconiosis according to the criteria of the OSHRI.

Results

Of the 33 institutions, the failed group (mean<60) scored 36.4% for radiological technique (RT), 30.3% for image quality (IQ) and 21.2% for the reading environment (RE). There were statistically significantly differences between the passed and failed groups for RT (75.8 ± 9.1 vs. 40.8 ± 13.6, p<0.001), for IQ (68.3 ± 5.8 vs. 47.8 ± 9.4, p<0.001) and for RE (78.3 ± 15.8 vs. 18.3 ± 21.9, p<0.001). The group that received education was significantly higher for the RT (68.7 vs. 53.2, p=0.032), the IQ (65.3 vs. 56.6, p=0.039) and the RE (76.2 vs. 47.0, p=0.005) than that for the group that didn't receive education.

Conclusion

The MIPs need surveillance and education for improving the quality assurance health care in thoracic radiography for treating patients with pneumoconiosis and who have complications.

Keywords: Pneumoconiosis, Thoracic radiography, Quality assurance health care

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1

Graph shows that frequency between passed and failed groups in RT (Radiological technique), IQ (Image quality) and RE (Reading environment). Mean score of RT is statistically significantly higher in passed group than that in failed group (75.8 ± 9.1 vs. 40.8 ± 13.6, p<0.001). Mean score of IQ is statistically significantly higher in passed group than that in failed group (68.3 ± 5.8 vs. 47.8 ± 9.4, p<0.001). Mean score of RE is statistically significantly higher in passed group than that in failed group (78.3 ± 15.8 vs. 18.3 ± 21.9, p<0.001).

jksr-63-431-g001
Fig. 2

Educated institutions showed significant high scores in RT (68.7 vs. 53.2, p=0.032), IQ (65.3 vs. 56.6, p=0.039) and RE (76.2 vs. 47.0, p=0.005) than uneducated institutions. (▪) uneducated institutions, (□) Educated institutions. * ; p<0.05, ** ; p<0.01

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Fig. 3

This medical institution for pneumoconiosis was not using the grid. The score of RT and IQ were 28.6, 43.3, respectively.

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Fig. 4

The chest image digitized from analog radiograph found that a defect of technical quality which was not completely shown at the chest wall and costophrenic angle of right side (IQ score=38.2).

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Table 1

Guidelines for Evaluation of Image Quality

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Table 2

Guidelines for Evaluation of Radiological Technique

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Note.─ *

Table 3

Guidelines for Evaluation of Reading Environment

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Table 4

Equipment of Simple Chest Radiography N=33

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Note.─ * ; Computed radiography is used the imaging plate. † ; Digital radiography is used the flat-panel detector.

‡ ; Quality assurance for pneumoconiosis by Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute

Table 5

Parameters Used with Simple Chest Radiography N=33

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Note.─ * ; Quality assurance for pneumoconiosis by Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute

Table 6

Equipment of Computed Tomography N=33

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Note.─ * ; Spiral CT, single channel detector=14, 2 CD=2, 4 CD=1, 16 CD=2, 64 CD=3

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