• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.78-93
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• 1996

Background : The goal of this study was to establish the QA items and guidelines for preventing and improving of safety management. Therefore we investigated the nurses' recognition and knowledge of the safety and risk procedures and policies, and the agreement between the nurses beliefs on the degree of importance of those procedures and policies, with actual implementation in hospitals. Method : The subjects of this study were 201 nurses who participated in a program called continuing education for nurses, which held in December, 1993. Result: The results of this study were as follows: 1. Among 18 types of hospital risks, the items that scored highest or the need of closer attention in safety management was the needle stick, medication errors, falling, and bed sores. 2. In most questions of the 18 incidences, the nurses showed that the estimated result would have positive signs except for hospital infections, burns, and bed sores. 3. Even though the survey shows that incidences and types of occurences varies according to the person's age and the time of incident, they mostly occur between midnight to 6AM. Falls and bed sores can be seen more in the elderly. Medications errors, hospital infections and burns are frequently found between the ages of one through twenty. 4. There was a higher mean score for recognizing the importance of those items than the importance of implementing them. Conclusion : In summary, nurses did perceive the need of safety management but the hospital policy for proper safety management was not established. So we recommended that the hospital administration would undertake an early detection and proper management system for hospital precautions, based on QA items & guidelines presented in this study.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.123-126
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• 2012

For the purpose of quality assurance (QA) of the blood irradiator, QA programs for daily, monthly, and yearly were developed. For daily tests, simple items for basically operating the machine are recommended. For monthly and yearly tests, the measurement of dose to assure the dose delivery system are performed by a dosimetry devices (Glass dosimeter jig) developed in this study. The QA program is practical for clinical environment.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.205-212
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• 2013

Recent developments of image guided radiation therapy (IGRT), especially the On Board Imaging (OBI) system and the cone beam CT (CBCT), enable the radiation treatment more accurate and reliable. IGRT is widely used in the radiation therapy as a standard of care. Use of IGRT is even expected to increase in the near future. IGRT is only beneficial to patients when it is used with proper considerations of safety and appropriateness of the techniques. Institutional procedure should be developed based on the clinical need and the deep understanding of the system before applying the new technique to the clinic. Comprehensive QA program should be established before to the clinic and imaging dose should be considered when preparing the departmental practice guidelines for IGRT.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.42-49
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• 2015

Purpose: In order to keep the acceptable level of the radiation oncology linear accelerators, it is necessary to apply a reliable quality assurance (QA) program. Materials and Methods: The QA protocols, published by authoritative organizations, such as the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), determine the quality control (QC) tests which should be performed on the medical linear accelerators and the threshold levels for each test. The purpose of this study is to increase the accuracy and precision of the selected QC tests in order to increase the quality of treatment and also increase the speed of the tests to convince the crowded centers to start a reliable QA program. A new method has been developed for two of the QC tests; optical distance indicator (ODI) QC test as a daily test and gantry angle QC test as a monthly test. This method uses an image processing approach utilizing the snapshots taken by the CCD camera to measure the source to surface distance (SSD) and gantry angle. Results: The new method of ODI QC test has an accuracy of 99.95% with a standard deviation of 0.061 cm and the new method for gantry angle QC has a precision of $0.43^{\circ}$. The automated proposed method which is used for both ODI and gantry angle QC tests, contains highly accurate and precise results which are objective and the human-caused errors have no effect on the results. Conclusion: The results show that they are in the acceptable range for both of the QC tests, according to AAPM task group 142.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.6-11
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• 2009

It is anticipated that quality assurance for the Ka band Communication Payload System(COPS) development program of the communication, Ocean & Meteorological Satellite(COMS) may be a core technical factor to be concerned in order to avoid any failure, and to assure its final performance during the mission lifetime in space. Those can be managed and verified and assessed by performing the Quality Assurance (QA) and risk management which helps to prevent and to reduce the critical fails. This paper introduces the Product Assurance (PA) system and procedures for controlling and monitoring sub-contractors which were participated in Ka band Communication Payload System (COPS) development. Also this paper shows Quality Assurance (QA) procedures and detailed their processes for assured the product performed by local companies from site survey for selecting companies to delivery of their equipment.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.22-27
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• 2008

It is anticipated that quality assurance for the Ka band Communication Payload System(COPS) development program of the Communication, Ocean & Meteorological Satellite(COMS) may be a core technical factor to be concerned in order to avoid any failure, and to assure its performance during the mission lifetime in space. Those can be managed and verified and assessed by performing the Quality Assurance (QA) and risk management which helps to prevent and reduce the critical fails. This paper introduces the Product Assurance (PA) system and procedures for Ka band Communication Payload System which was established and performed during the Qualification Model (QM) manufacturing phase. In this paper, we present detailed process for the products manufactured by local companies according to PA procedures operated through whole phases from design to test of equipment. Also this paper shows Quality Assurance (QA) procedures and detailed their processes for assured the product quality manufactured by local companies.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.94-103
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• 1996

Background : Blood pressure is an important indicator in diagnosis and assessing treatment of a patient. Clinical staffs use blood pressure on the assumption that measured value is accurate and reliable. However, whether measured blood pressure is accurate has been rarely investigated in Korea. Objectives : The aims of this study are to evaluate clinical staffs' knowledge and technique as well as accuracy of sphygmomanometer. Also the program to improve the measurement is developed. Methods : Seventy-three registered nurses were asked nine multiple choice questions including Korotkoff sound, cuff size, and deflation rate. Simultaneously characteristics of nurses were examined, age, working place, duration of employment and academic degree. A testing videotape(Standardizing Measurement Video-Tutored Course) was used for evaluating the accuracy of measurement. Testees were to read and record the 12 cases of blood pressure measurement, watching a falling mercury column and hearing Korotkoff sounds. After 10 minutes' education, they were again tested with the same cases. Additionally, 83 mercury sphygmomanometers were checked to find defects such as inaccurate calibration and zero setting, leaky bladder, etc. Results: For the knowledge testing correct response rate was 41.1%. They were the lowest in selecting the proper cuff size and Korotkoff sound. In examining accuracy of blood pressure with videotape, nurses had 67.7% correct response rate. The correct response rate was significantly improved by a session of education. About 23% of sphygmomanometers was without discernable defects. Conclusion : The knowledge and skill of clinical staffs along with the accuracy of equipment have to be improved. A properly designed education program would contribute to the accuracy improvement of blood pressure measurement. Also, more concerns should be given to the precision and maintenance of equipment.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.270-278
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• 2003

Transparency on the Total System Performance Assessment (TSPA) is the key issue to enhance the public acceptance for a permanent high level radioactive repository. Traditionally, the study on features, events and processes (FEPs) and associated scenarios has been regarded as the starting point to open the communicative discussion on TSPA such as what to evaluate, how to evaluate and how to translate outcomes into more friendly language that many stakeholders can easily understand and react with. However, in most cases, it has been limited to one way communication, because it is difficult for stakeholders outside the performance assessment field to assess the details on the story of the safety assessment, scenario and technical background of it. Fortunately, the advent of the internet era opens up the possibility of two way communication from the beginning of the performance assessment so that every stakeholder can exchange their keen opinions on the safety issues. To achieve it, KAERI develops the systematic approach from the FEPs to Assessment methods flow chart. All information is integrated into the web based program named FEAS (FEp to Assessment through Scenario development) under development in KAERI. In parallel, two independent systems are also under development the web based QA(Quality Assurance) system and the PA(Performance Assessment) input database. It is ideal to integrate the input data base with the QA system so that every data in the system can checked whenever necessary. Throughout the next phase R&D starting from the year 2003, these three systems will be consolidated into one unified system.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2017

A high degree of precision and accuracy in Gamma Knife Radiosurgery(GKRS) is a fundamental requirement for therapeutical success. Elaborate radiation delivery and dose gradients with the steep fall-off of radiation are clinically applied thus necessitating a dedicated Quality Assurance(QA) program in order to guarantee dosimetric and geometric accuracy and reduce all the risk factors that can occur in GKRS. In this study, as a part of QA we verified the accuracy of single-shot dose profiles used in the algorithm of Gamma Knife Perfexion(PFX) treatment planning system employing Variable Ellipsoid Modeling Technique(VEMT). We evaluated the dose distributions of single-shots in a spherical ABC phantom with diameter 160 mm on Gamma Knife PFX. The single-shots were directed to the center of ABC phantom. Collimating configurations of 4, 8, and 16 mm sizes along x, y, and z axes were studied. Gamma Knife PFX treatment planning system being used in GKRS is called Leksell GammaPlan(LGP) ver 10.1.1. From the verification like this, the accuracy of GKRS will be doubled. Then the clinical application must be finally performed based on precision and accuracy of GKRS. Specifically the width at the 50% isodose level, that is, Full-Width-of-Half-Maximum(FWHM) was verified under such conditions that a patient's head is simulated as a sphere with diameter 160mm. All the data about dose profiles along x, y, and z axes predicted through VEMT were excellently consistent with dose profiles from LGP within specifications(${\leq}1mm$ at 50% isodose level) except for a little difference of FWHM and PENUMBRA(isodose level: 20%~80%) along z axis for 4 mm and 8mm collimating configurations. The maximum discrepancy of FWHM was less than 2.3% at all collimating configurations. The maximum discrepancy of PENUMBRA was given for the 8 mm collimator along z axis. The difference of FWHM and PENUMBRA in the dose distributions obtained with VEMT and LGP is too small to give the clinical significance in GKRS. The results of this study are considered as a reference for medical physicists involved in GKRS in the whole world. Therefore we can work to confirm the validity of dose distributions for all collimating configurations determined through the regular preventative maintenance program using the independent verification method VEMT for the results of LGP and clinically assure the perfect treatment for patients of GKRS. Thus the use of VEMT is expected that it will be a part of QA that can verify and operate the system safely.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.02a
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• pp.170-181
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• 2004

DUPIC powder and pellets were successfully fabricated in accordance with the quality assurance program described in the Quality Assurance Manual for DUPIC fuel fabrication, which was developed on the basis of the CAN3-Z299.2-85 standard. This manual describes the quality management system applicable to the activities performed for DUPIC fuel fabrication. It covers the work processes, policies and procedures used for planning, executing, and verifying the work carried out for DUPIC fuel fabrication. It is important that a Quality Program is in place before the fabrication of the fuel for irradiation testing. In order to qualify the DUPIC pellet manufacturing processes, 3 series of experiments for the pre-qualification and 3 series for the qualification were performed. In these experiments, the optimum process conditions were established. Then, under the control of the QA program, 8 series of production runs were performed to make the qualified DUPIC pellets in a batch size of 1 kg. In these production runs, DUPIC fuel pellets satisfying the standard CANDU fuel pellet specifications could be successfully produced.