Article ID: | iaor2016748 |
Volume: | 17 |
Issue: | 3 |
Start Page Number: | 289 |
End Page Number: | 307 |
Publication Date: | Feb 2016 |
Journal: | International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management |
Authors: | Azadeh Ali, Ameli M, Souri P, Baradaran A, Agah M A |
Keywords: | medicine, quality & reliability, statistics: inference |
This study aims to assess and improve the quality of radiotherapy process using statistical quality control tools. This is to ensure the effective radiotherapy process before treatment, which is called intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Our objective is to compare the safety level of this process with the standard data's, collected from cardiac patients who are going through this process. In addition, in order to predict the patient's situation after this process, we will identify effective factors to increase the quality of process and consequently to locate means to achieve the optimal quality. Two statistical quality control tools have been used in this research to analyse the process; cause and effect diagram and control charts. Due to existence of uncertainty within and between the processes, fuzzy control charts are used. Results show that fuzzy control diagrams for the treatment process of prostate cancer is caused by different random reasons and they are controlled statistically. Fuzzy control charts can provide predictions about effectiveness of treatment or presence of probable errors.