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Where do you fit into your QA Programme?

Ultrasound Quality Assurance is a mandatory activity. It relies on the combined efforts of different people and disciplines, that come together like pieces in a jigsaw.

Your Ultrasound QA Programme: Who should be doing what?

Multi-Medix was formed with a principal aim – to increase the uptake of Ultrasound Quality Assurance (QA) for the safety of patients. As part of our training courses, we like to ask our delegates what they think QA is what part they think they have to play to implementing and maintaining a QA Programme. There are some common myths that are heard. For instance

“Don’t Biomedical Engineers look after all of ultrasound QA?”

“QA is a user activity”

“I have heard of IPEM 102 and this means that Medical Physics should be running the ultrasound QA programme. It is a physics test”

“We have an annual maintenance check. This means we have a QA programme”

“I can tell whilst scanning picture when there is something wrong with the probe or system”

None of these statements are true. All the parties mentioned above and more have role to play in QA Programme. It cannot be given to one person or department, It relies on coordination between various departments.

Your Ultrasound QA Programme: Where do you fit in?

Ultrasound QA Programme is made of four activities, all done by different parties, all important to create a robust QA Programme.

The top of the “jigsaw” shows the role of ultrasound users and assistants.

  • Only around 7% of faults with ultrasound equipment are found during clinical use i.e. it is not possible to tell, simply from scanning, that your probe is working correctly
  • There are daily and monthly checks – most of them only taking minutes to do. The specific tasks are described in the Diagnostic Ultrasound QA Manual and videos that can be found on the Multi-Medix Online Knowledge Portal.  Or you can book onto one our QA courses such as Probe Care Essentials.
  • These checks must be recorded and any anomalies reported & followed up Waiting for the annual planned maintenance checks may mean using faulty equipment for months.  All Multi-Medix clients have a helpline they can call if they spot anything that does not look right in their regular checks.

The bottom of the “jigsaw” demonstrates the role of specialist testing done by Biomedical Engineers, Medical Physicists or Independent Providers such as Multi-Medix.

  • “Baselining” the system. This provides the benchmark that all the user checks above measure against and future annual testing will measure against.
  • All new systems need to be acceptance tested.
  • Annually the QA system should be reviewed by an independent party to assess its effectiveness and suggest improvements.

Multi-Medix has helped many hospitals and clinics set up effective QA Programmes either by providing training that helps to fill knowledge gaps in an organisation’s “jigsaw”. Or providing independent specialist testing and audit services.

We will be at stand 14 at BMUS Conference from December 6th – 9th 2022. Please drop by and ask us any questions on QA – we look forward to seeing you.

Alternatively please email  [email protected] or  [email protected] for advice on ultrasound QA and information about our training courses.

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Multi-Medix at BMUS Conference 2022

Multi-Medix will be exhibiting at BMUS conference 2022, at stand 14, from December 6th – 8th  in Cardiff.

Make 2023 a Quality Year. Improve patient safety through implementing an Ultrasound Quality Assurance Programme
Come to stand 14 and chat with our friendly staff for more information on “QA Everyday” – the beginning of your route to compliance.

Our staff will be participating in the BMUS conference 2022 Scientific Programme presentations:

  • Dr Nick Dudley will be giving a talk on “Transducer Care” at the Veterinary Session 1 on the morning of  Day 3 and “Quality and Accuracy of Vascular Ultrasound Equipment” also on the morning of Day 3.
  • Daniel Wyatt will be presenting “Ultrasound QA: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” on Day 1 at 2pm as part of the Ultrasound Safety Session.

A full programme of events can be found here.

We will also be running bitesize training sessions via “Education at the Stand” at 1.30pm on Day 1

Ultrasound QA tests – A practical introduction

See how quick and easy user Quality Assurance tests really are;  a few minutes is really all it takes.  Join Multi-Medix for our demonstration on how to check your probes & systems are defect free, safe, and compliant. Includes a free Multi-Medix test tool too!

Enter this year’s QA quiz and win a “Velvetiser”

Following the popularity of our quiz last year, we are running another QA quiz this year. It takes less that one minute to do, and  every entry submitted also is submitted into a prize draw has a chance of winning a Hotel Chocolat “Velvetiser” . The draw will take place on the final day of BMUS. To take the quiz, click here. Good luck!

 

We look forward to meeting with you,

The Multi-Medix Team