Risk Analysis Based on Failure Modes and Effect Analysis for the IGRT Process
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29384/rbfm.2025.v19.19849001836Keywords:
Risk Analysis, Failure Modes and Effect Analysis, FMEA, Image-Guided Radiation Therapy, IGRTAbstract
Image-Guided Radiation Therapy is a positioning technique that enables precise verification of the region to be irradiated based on images obtained in the treatment room prior to the radiotherapy procedure and compared to reference images. Therefore, it is a highly recommended technique and it is necessary to guarantee its safe applicability. For this safety, the Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA) tool was used to perform the risk analysis in two centers. With the analysis, it was possible to perceive the importance of identifying the Failure Modes with the highest Risk Priority Number (RPN) and severity values so that interventions could be proposed in order to obtain a mitigation of possible errors, in addition to the broad participation of the multidisciplinary team. The results obtained with the FMEA proved useful for the identification of the most probable errors in each of the institutions, being favorable for the quality assurance related to the IGRT process. However, it is of fundamental significance that its use is thoroughly understood in order to identify all the possible errors that may be involved and, in this way, deliver radiotherapy treatment with greater quality and efficiency.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Gabriela Alves Costa, Victor Augusto Bertotti Ribeiro, Laura Furnari, Caroline Castilhano Bueno
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