Background/introduction
Andalusia
Andalusia(Fig. 1) is an autonomous community in southern Spain. It is the most populous, and the second largest autonomous community in Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is of- ficially recognised as a "historical nationality".
The territory is divided into eight provinces: Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Málaga and Seville. Its capital is the city of Seville.
Andalusia ranks first by population among the 17 autonomous communities of Spain. Theofficial number of inhabitants was estimated in 2019 as 8,414,240, of whom 4,147,167 were men...
Description of activity and work performed
In order to achieve the goals defined in the project, a public contest was raised, with these main points:
One provider for the hole number of CT machines. This same provider should be responsible for the maintenance of the machines for eight years.
There were four levels of complexity in the machines, Fig. 5 from level 1, the simplest, to the more complex level 4. The definition of the levels was mainly based upon the capacity of solving clinical problems, not only based upon the...
Conclusion and recommendations
CT imaging is an important source of ionizing radiation in the general population.
Using up to date equipment is relevant, as it can significatively reduce individual and poblational radiation dose.
Renewing and maintaining the CT facilities in a big community, as Andalusia is, is complex and expensive.
Using new and innovative ways of acquiring services, and long term contracts, is a way of solving this problem, even when the budget is limited.
Having an only supplier can be difficult to understand, but has many advantages,...
Personal/organisational information
P. Valdés Solís; Marbella/ES - nothing to disclose
References
Brenner DJ, Hall EJ. Computed Tomography — An Increasing Source of Radiation Exposure. New England Journal of Medicine. 29 de noviembre de 2007;357(22):2277-84.
Mettler FA, Bhargavan M, Faulkner K, Gilley DB, Gray JE, Ibbott GS, etal. Radiologic and Nuclear Medicine Studies in the United States and Worldwide: Frequency, Radiation Dose, and Comparison with Other Radiation Sources—1950–2007. Radiology. 1 de noviembre de 2009;253(2):520-31.
European Society of Radiology (ESR). Summary of the European Directive 2013/59/Euratom: essentials for health professionals in radiology. Insights Imaging. agosto de 2015;6(4):411-7
Tonkopi...