/library/oar/handle/123456789/17778 2026-05-23T11:51:02Z 2026-05-23T11:51:02Z Pace, Eric Caruana, Carmel J. Bosmans, Hilde Cortis, Kelvin D'Anastasi, Melvin Valentino, Gianluca /library/oar/handle/123456789/140804 2025-11-03T14:33:28Z 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: An inventory of patient-image based risk/dose, image quality and body habitus/size metrics for adult abdomino-pelvic CT protocol optimisation Authors: Pace, Eric; Caruana, Carmel J.; Bosmans, Hilde; Cortis, Kelvin; D'Anastasi, Melvin; Valentino, Gianluca Abstract: Purpose: Patient-specific protocol optimisation in abdomino-pelvic Computed Tomography (CT) requires measurement of body habitus/size (BH), sensitivity–specificity (surrogates image quality (IQ) metrics) and risk (surrogates often dose quantities) (RD). This work provides an updated inventory of metrics available for each of these three categories of optimisation variables derivable directly from patient measurements or images. We consider objective IQ metrics mostly in the spatial domain (i.e., those related directly to sharpness, contrast, noise quantity/texture and perceived detectability as these are used by radiologists to assess the acceptability or otherwise of patient images in practice). Materials and methods The search engine used was PubMed with the search period being 2010–2024. The key words used were: ‘comput* tomography’, ‘CT’, ‘abdom*’, ‘dose’, ‘risk’, ‘SSDE’, ‘image quality’, ‘water equivalent diameter’, ‘size’, ‘body composition’, ‘habit*’, ‘BMI’, ‘obes*’, ‘overweight’. Since BH is critical for patient specific optimisation, articles correlating RD vs BH, and IQ vs BH were reviewed. Results The inventory includes 11 BH, 12 IQ and 6 RD metrics. 25 RD vs BH correlation studies and 9 IQ vs BH correlation studies were identified. 7 articles in the latter group correlated metrics from all three categories concurrently. Conclusions: Protocol optimisation should be fine-tuned to the level of the individual patient and particular clinical query. This would require a judicious choice of metrics from each of the three categories. It is suggested that, for increased utility in clinical practice, more future optimisation studies be clinical task based and involve the three categories of metrics concurrently.

2024-01-01T00:00:00Z Caruana, Carmel J. /library/oar/handle/123456789/124421 2024-07-09T08:34:40Z 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Regulatory structures and issues in the European Union Authors: Caruana, Carmel J. Abstract: RADIATION PROTECTION has been one of the issues on the minds of European legislators since the inception of the European Union (EU); indeed, the foundations of the extensive radiation protection legislation and documentation in our possession today can be found in the Euratom treaty of 1957 (EAEC 2012). From that time several directives (and revisions of said directives) concerning radiation protection have been adopted culminating in the revised European Basic Safety Standards (BSS) directive adopted in 2013 (EURATOM 2013). This chapter first describes briefly the more important milestones leading to the revised BSS and its general regulatory structure. This is followed by a description of the role of the Medical Physics Expert (MPE) in the directive, a discussion of the issues of concern to the Medical Physics (MP) profession originating from the revised European BSS, and finally how the more immediate of these concerns have been addressed in the European Commission (EC) funded project, "European Guidelines on the Medical Physics Expert" Project (EU 2014b).

2015-01-01T00:00:00Z Caruana, Carmel J. Wasilewska-Radwanska, M. Aurengo, A. Dendy, P. P. Karenauskaite, V. Malisan, M. R. Meijer, J. H. Mornstein, V. Rokita, E. Vano, E. Wucherer, M. /library/oar/handle/123456789/124313 2024-07-05T10:04:25Z 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: EFOMP project on the role of biomedical physics in the education of healthcare professionals Authors: Caruana, Carmel J.; Wasilewska-Radwanska, M.; Aurengo, A.; Dendy, P. P.; Karenauskaite, V.; Malisan, M. R.; Meijer, J. H.; Mornstein, V.; Rokita, E.; Vano, E.; Wucherer, M. Abstract: The policy statements describing the role of the medical physicist (and engineer) published by organizations representing medical physics (and engineering) in Europe include the responsibility of providing a contribution to the education of healthcare professionals (physicians and paramedical professions). As a consequence, medical physicists and engineers provide educational services in most Faculties of Medicine / Health Science in Europe. In 2005, the EFOMP council took the decision to set up a Special Interest Group to develop the role of the medical physics educator in such faculties and to work with other healthcare professional groups to produce updated European curricula for them. The effort of the group would provide a base for the progress of the role, its relevance to contemporary healthcare professional education and provide input for future EFOMP policy documents regarding this important aspect of the role of the medical physicist. The present communication will present the group, summarise its latest research and indicate future research directions.

2009-01-01T00:00:00Z Caruana, Carmel J. Grech, Kenneth /library/oar/handle/123456789/124312 2024-07-05T09:55:27Z 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Cost optimized medical physics education and training : an innovative E&T scheme in Malta Authors: Caruana, Carmel J.; Grech, Kenneth Abstract: Until recently the number of Medical Physicists in Malta was much lower than that recommended by EU institutions. This was impacting the extent, effectiveness, safety and efficiency of clinical services. The University of Malta and the Ministry of Health in Malta embarked on a project to address the issue. The objective was to produce an E&T programme which followed the then developing EU, EFOMP and IAEA recommendations whilst optimizing costs and ensuring future-proofing. We present the innovative scheme, which was part financed by the EU European Social Fund, as a model of academic and public administration cooperation in the service of patients.

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z