Significance of the sample determination in assessment of radiological examinations frequencies for population doses due to medical exposures.

The radiological examination frequency, i.e. the number of examinations performed annually, is necessary for estimating the collective effective dose of the population from medical exposures with ionizing radiation. Examination frequency surveys usually collect data from a limited number of radiological facilities participating in the survey. The collected data are then extrapolated to the existing radiological facilities in a country/region. Thus, the number of facilities and the specific facilities to participate, as well as, the extrapolation method used, are significant elements when designing the survey sample and methodology for examinations frequency assessments. This work attempted to simulate the situation when examination frequency data are collected from a limited number of facilities by investigating several "virtual sample" designs and two extrapolation methods. Comparisons between the calculated - by extrapolation - and the actual examination frequency in the country were made, for several scenarios and examination type data sets. The uncertainties were estimated and discussed thoroughly. The findings of this work highlighted the need for appropriate registry of the existing facilities in a country/region, the categorization of facilities considering the medical sector pattern in the country/region, the representativity and homogeneity of the samples used for a survey, as well as, the necessity for quality control of the collected examination frequency data. The results showed that when the aforementioned conditions were fulfilled, the examination frequency could be calculated with reasonable accuracy, based on data collected from a limited number of facilities. The paper also provides suggestions and tips for the collection and analysis of examination frequency data.

Demographics of the members of the special interest group for early career medical physicists: A statistical analysis of survey results.

INTRODUCTION: The Early Career Medical Physicists Special Interest Group (SIG_FREC) that operates within EFOMP aims to represent individuals with less than 10 years of experience working as medical physics professionals. The purpose of this survey was to better understand the specific needs and expectations of early-career medical physicists across Europe. The aim of this study was to allow these early-career professionals to voice their ideas within EFOMP and provide insights into their challenges and opportunities while also providing them with the possibility of making suggestions for the growth of the SIG. Doing this, the members can be better equipped to be future leaders of the Medical Physics profession in their own country and in Europe. METHODS: The Steering Committee of SIG_FREC developed a questionnaire and distributed it to its members. RESULTS: Out of the total number of members of the SIG_FREC at the time of the questionnaire (97 members), 42 of them responded to the survey yielding a response rate of 43%. These provided valuable insights based on their experiences about medical physics in their country. CONCLUSION: The responses to the questionnaire provided a snapshot of the opinion of early-career medical physicists, representing a wide geographical distribution across Europe. The feedback from SIG_FREC members highlighted potential future operations within EFOMP.