Beyond CT accreditation: Systematic evaluation of achievable image quality, radiation dose, and protocol factors in annual physics testing

Modern CT scanners likely can exceed ACR accreditation targets for image quality at radiation dose levels well below the ACR limits. Clinical medical physicists can use the approach described in this study to recommend clinical protocol improvements when performing physics testing. Medical physicists can engage with radiologists and technologists to determine whether published protocol guidelines are appropriate for clinical needs and can use the simple mathematical relationship described in this paper to translate protocols for modifications such as reduced slice thickness.