Diagnostic Radiology Physics —
Training activity: 14

Details

Perform equipment performance testing, under supervision, on CT scanners, and analyse and report results to clinical users.

Type

Developmental training activity (DTA)

Evidence requirements

Evidence the activity has been undertaken by the trainee​.

Reflection on the activity at one or more time points after the event including learning from the activity and/or areas of the trainees practice for development.

An action plan to implement learning and/or to address skills or knowledge gaps identified.

Reflective practice guidance

The guidance below is provided to support reflection at different time points, providing you with questions to aid you to reflect for this training activity. They are provided for guidance and should not be considered as a mandatory checklist. Trainees should not be expected to provide answers to each of the guidance questions listed.

Before action

What are the intended outcomes of the training activity?

• How will reviewing the relevant learning outcomes help you focus on the technical requirements for assessing CT scanner performance?
• What is the importance of gaining practical experience in performing image quality tests specifically for CT systems as outlined in the curriculum?
• How will this activity develop your ability to analyse technical test results and translate them into a clear, actionable report for clinical users?
• In what ways will this training help you understand the link between the clinical needs of the department and the technical specifications of the CT scanner?
• How will you ensure you can effectively identify common CT artefacts—such as ring or streaking artefacts—and provide scientifically sound recommendations for their rectification?

What do you anticipate you will learn from the experience?

• What specific insights do you hope to gain regarding the geometry and components of modern spiral or multidetector CT scanners?
• How do you anticipate this experience will improve your ability to interpret CT test results against national recommendations and local tolerances?
• What do you expect to learn about the different reconstruction methods used in CT and how they impact the appearance of image noise or spatial resolution?
• How will you use this activity to learn about the practical limitations of CT equipment, particularly in specialised applications like cardiac CT or radiotherapy planning?
• In what ways do you anticipate this experience will prepare you for the high-level analytical and interpretive responsibilities required for post-programme practice as a Clinical Scientist?

What actions will you take in preparation for the experience?

• How will you discuss the level of supervision and the specific performance tests you will be performing with your Training Officer?
• Which national guidelines (e.g., IPEM), local protocols, and work instructions for CT quality assurance will you review beforehand to ensure your testing is robust?
• What steps will you take to familiarise yourself with the physics principles and potential failure modes unique to CT imaging technology?
• Which educational resources or image atlases will you gather to help you identify and troubleshoot modality-specific artefacts?
• How will you prepare to handle potential challenges, such as resolving a Level A QA fail or communicating an urgent equipment restriction to a clinical user?
• How do you honestly feel about the responsibility of assessing complex, high-cost equipment that is critical to the patient pathway?
• Does acknowledging feelings of uncertainty regarding complex CT datasets or mathematical reconstruction help you focus your preparation on the areas where you need the most support?
• How might your feelings about communicating technical findings to a multidisciplinary team influence your approach to writing the final performance report?

In action

What are you doing?

• Which specific CT performance tests—such as CTDI measurement, spatial resolution (MTF), or low-contrast sensitivity—are you currently performing?
• Why have you chosen this particular sequence of tests, and how does it ensure the efficient use of the scanner during the supervised session?
• How are you ensuring the correct setup and alignment of phantoms and measurement devices (e.g. ionisation chambers) for the specific geometry of the CT scanner?
• What decisions are you making regarding data acquisition parameters, such as kVp, mAs, and pitch, to ensure they represent clinical protocols?
• Which aspects of the CT QA process feel intuitive based on your previous experience with other modalities, and which require more conscious effort, such as navigating the complex reconstruction software or console?

How are you progressing with the activity?

• How effective are your actions in obtaining reliable data, and are you encountering any unexpected readings or ‘Level A’ failures that require immediate attention?
• What challenges are you facing in interpreting the results against national recommendations or local departmental tolerances in real-time?
• What are you learning about the practical limitations of CT technology—such as the trade-off between noise and dose—as you actively review the reconstructed images?
• How does the data you are currently gathering connect to your existing knowledge of spiral and multidetector CT geometry and reconstruction methods?
• Are the image quality markers you are observing (e.g. noise power spectrum or slice profile) aligning with the expected performance levels for this specific imaging task?

How are you adapting to the situation?

• If you observe an image artefact (e.g. ring, streak, or beam hardening), what immediate decisions are you making to investigate its root cause?
• How are you adapting your troubleshooting approach if the initial recommendations for rectification do not resolve the identified image quality issue?
• What support or guidance do you find yourself needing from your supervisor regarding the interpretation of complex datasets or the use of specialised software tools?
• How are you adjusting your communication and reporting style in the moment to ensure technical findings will be clear, concise, and actionable for a clinical user?
• Are you certain that your actions, particularly when adjusting scanner settings or reporting urgent findings, remain strictly within your defined scope of practice?

On action

What did you notice?

• How would you summarise the key procedural steps you took to perform performance testing on the CT scanner, such as the setup of dosimetry phantoms or image quality test objects?
• What specific performance parameters did you assess—for example, CTDI, spatial resolution (MTF), or low-contrast sensitivity—and how did the results compare to national recommendations and local tolerances?
• Were there any specific image artefacts identified during the testing (e.g., ring, streak, or beam hardening artefacts), and what were their potential causes?
• What was the process for analysing and interpreting the raw data, and how did you verify that the internal quality control was acceptable before reporting?
• What information was prioritised in the final report to clinical users, and how did they respond to your findings regarding the scanner’s performance?
• How did the supervised nature of the activity influence your technical approach or your confidence in making recommendations for equipment use?

What did you learn from the activity?

• What new knowledge did you develop regarding the ability to appraise quality assurance results across complex CT systems?
• What did you learn about the scientific principles of CT imaging, such as the impact of different reconstruction methods on image noise and spatial resolution?
• How did this experience improve your ability to identify modality-specific artefacts and formulate evidence-based recommendations for their rectification?
• In what ways did your reflection-in-action—the decisions you made while handling sensitive dosimetry equipment or navigating the scanner console—influence the accuracy of the final results?
• What did you learn about the practical limitations of CT technology in a clinical environment, such as the trade-offs between high-speed acquisition and image quality?
• How does the ability to perform and report these technical tests relate to the high-level interpretive and professional responsibilities you will hold as a post-programme Clinical Scientist?

What will you take from the experience moving forward?

• What specific areas for continued development have you identified, such as a need to better understand specialized applications like cardiac CT or radiotherapy treatment planning?
• How can you apply the learning from this activity to your routine practice, particularly when investigating a Level A QA fail or commissioning new CT equipment?
• What specific ‘next steps’ will you now take—such as reviewing the latest IPEM guidelines or attending an equipment planning meeting—to support the assimilation of what you have learned?
• What support or resources, such as specialist mentoring or access to electronic dose management systems, would be beneficial for your further development in CT physics?

Beyond action

Have you revisited the experiences?

• How has your understanding of performing and appraising quality assurance evolved since you first completed this supervised performance testing on a CT scanner?
• When evaluating this experience have you revisited your initial results in light of new knowledge or updated national recommendations and tolerances?
• Have you had opportunities to perform CT QA on different systems, and how do those experiences compare to this initial activity in terms of identifying modality-specific artefacts?
• How has professional storytelling with senior physicists or clinical colleagues regarding complex CT datasets or reconstruction methods changed your perspective on troubleshooting technical issues?
• As part of a holistic review of the Diagnostic Radiology Physics module, what specific interpretive behaviours—such as linking spatial resolution and noise parameters to clinical requirements—have you now successfully assimilated?

How have these experiences impacted upon your current practice?

• How has this hands-on experience of performing CT QA influenced your ability to critically appraise results or identify potential equipment failures in your current routine work?
• In what ways did the reporting skills you developed—specifically communicating technical findings to clinical users—transfer to other situations, such as explaining Level A QA fails?
• How has this experience supported your preparation for formal observed assessments, such as the DOPS: ‘Perform image quality tests for a… CT scanner’ or the OCE: ‘Feedback to users as to whether a diagnostic radiology system is suitable for clinical use’?
• How has your proficiency in identifying and rectifying image artefacts improved your confidence when advising radiographers on image quality issues in a live clinical setting?
• In what ways has this activity enhanced your appreciation for the teamwork required with medical physics colleagues to ensure equipment safety and optimal performance across various modalities?

How might these experiences contribute towards your future practice?

• Which transferable skills developed through this activity—such as complex data analysis, technical troubleshooting, and clinical collaboration—will be most essential for your future role as a Clinical Scientist?
• How will your ability to appraise QA results and recommend rectifications for artefacts contribute to maintaining high standards of patient safety and diagnostic quality in your future career?
• What clear actions for continued development have you identified, such as mastering the performance testing of emerging technologies like hybrid imaging or radiotherapy planning CTs?
• How has the mastery of these technical skills provided the necessary foundation for the high-level analytical and interpretive responsibilities you will hold in post-programme professional practice?
• What resources or specialist mentoring will you seek to further develop your expertise in commissioning and auditing complex CT protocols within a wider organisational framework?

Relevant learning outcomes

#	Outcome
# 2	Outcome Perform and appraise quality assurance on equipment across a range of diagnostic radiology modalities.
# 3	Outcome Identify common image artefacts and make recommendations for rectification.