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The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) announces the publication of NCRP Statement No. 16, Recommendations for Assessment of Safety, Quality and Reliability in a Radiation Therapy Practice.

The procedures and processes of radiation therapy planning and delivery must incorporate the principles of safety. In addition, the development and manufacturing of the devices used for radiation therapy ought to facilitate adherence to these safety principles. NCRP Statement No. 16 defines the characteristics of a radiation therapy practice that prioritizes safety.

The intent of this document is to provide recommendations on external assessment (or audit) of a radiation therapy practice in terms of quality and safety—the same principles outlined for external audits may also be utilized by a practice for internal self-assessments or audits.

The document may be utilized by external reviewers for safety assessment purposes, by facilities for the assessment of accreditation readiness, and by radiation therapy practices as a source of practice improvement initiatives. The recommendations in this statement are designed to accommodate external beam and brachytherapy procedures, independent of the practice environment (e.g., private, academic, and nonacademic hospital-based) or practice size. Radiotherapy with unsealed radioactive sources is not addressed in this statement.

View or download NCRP Statement No.16, Recommendations for Assessment of Safety, Quality and Reliability in a Radiation Therapy Practice.