{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,19]],"date-time":"2026-04-19T06:05:18Z","timestamp":1776578718543,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,6]],"date-time":"2025-06-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1749168000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Diagnostics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>X-ray imaging protocols in radiology departments often exhibit variability in exposure parameters and geometric setups, leading to inconsistencies in image quality and potential variations in patient dose. Objectives: This study aimed to harmonise and optimise chest and pelvis X-ray imaging protocols by standardising exposure parameters and geometric setups across departmental systems, minimising radiation dose while ensuring adequate image quality for accurate diagnosis. Methods: The image quality of five pelvic and three chest protocols across different radiographic systems was evaluated both quantitatively and visually. Visual image quality for both chest and pelvis protocols was assessed by radiologists and radiographers using the Visual Grading Analysis (VGA) method. Additionally, the quantitative image quality figure inverse (IQFinv) metric for all protocols was determined using the CDRAD image quality phantom. Moreover, the patient radiation dose for both chest and pelvis protocols was evaluated using dose area product (DAP) values measured by the systems\u2019 built-in DAP metres. Results: Different quantitative image quality and radiation dose to patients were achieved in various protocol settings for both chest and pelvis examinations, but the visual image quality assessment showed satisfactory image quality for all observers in both the pelvis and chest protocols. The selected protocols for harmonising chest radiography across all imaging systems result in reduced radiation exposure for patients while maintaining adequate image quality compared to the previously used system-specific protocol. Conclusions: The clinical protocol for chest and pelvis radiography has been standardised and optimised in accordance with patient radiation exposure and image quality. This approach aligns with the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle, ensuring optimal diagnostic information while minimising the radiation risks.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics15121450","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,6]],"date-time":"2025-06-06T09:43:14Z","timestamp":1749202994000},"page":"1450","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Standardisation and Optimisation of Chest and Pelvis X-Ray Imaging Protocols Across Multiple Radiography Systems in a Radiology Department"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6796-6692","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ahmed Jibril","family":"Abdi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Engineering, Region of Southern Denmark, Odense University Hospital, J. B. Winsl\u00f8ws Vej 4, 5000 Odense, Denmark"},{"name":"Research and Innovation Unit of Radiology, University of Southern Denmark, Kl\u00f8verv\u00e6nget 10, 5000 Odense, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kasper R\u00f8rdam","family":"Jensen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Engineering, Region of Southern Denmark, Odense University Hospital, J. B. Winsl\u00f8ws Vej 4, 5000 Odense, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5718-3635","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pia Iben","family":"Pietersen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research and Innovation Unit of Radiology, University of Southern Denmark, Kl\u00f8verv\u00e6nget 10, 5000 Odense, Denmark"},{"name":"Department of Radiology, Odense University Hospital, J. B. Winsl\u00f8ws Vej 4, 5000 Odense, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Janni","family":"Jensen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research and Innovation Unit of Radiology, University of Southern Denmark, Kl\u00f8verv\u00e6nget 10, 5000 Odense, Denmark"},{"name":"Department of Radiology, Odense University Hospital, J. B. Winsl\u00f8ws Vej 4, 5000 Odense, Denmark"},{"name":"CAI-X (Centre for Clinical Artificial Intelligence), Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rune Lau","family":"Hovgaard","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, Odense University Hospital, Baag\u00f8es All\u00e9 15, 5700 Svendborg, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ask Kristian Aas","family":"Holmboe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, Odense University Hospital, Baag\u00f8es All\u00e9 15, 5700 Svendborg, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2086-6253","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sofie","family":"Gregersen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Engineering, Region of Southern Denmark, Odense University Hospital, J. B. Winsl\u00f8ws Vej 4, 5000 Odense, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"260","DOI":"10.1089\/ars.2013.5489","article-title":"Effects of ionizing radiation on biological molecules\u2014Mechanisms of damage and emerging methods of detection","volume":"21","author":"Reisz","year":"2014","journal-title":"Antioxid. Redox Signal."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Feinendegen, L.E., Pollycove, M., and Sondhaus, C.A. (2004). Responses to Low Doses of Ionizing Radiation in Biological Systems. Nonlinearity Biol. Toxicol. 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