Health system integration presents challenges for radiology departments, especially in standardizing imaging protocols across new affiliate sites. In pediatric radiology, these challenges are amplified when adult-focused centers begin serving children, as pediatric imaging often requires protocol modifications. Per ACR-SPR-SSR guidelines, pediatric dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) should include lumbar spine and total body images, which provide a more accurate measurement of bone mineral density in children than the standard adult DXA protocol. In our integrated health system, radiologists noted inconsistent use of the pediatric DXA protocol at new affiliate sites. This quality improvement (QI) study evaluated adherence to pediatric DXA protocols across imaging sites to inform targeted interventions to improve national guideline compliance. Read More

Meeting name: IPR 2026 Congress , 2026

Authors: Rigsby Devyn, Lenehan Patrick, Gupta Alejandro, Lorusso Jessica, Sagar Pallavi

Keywords: Quality Improvement, DEXA, Protocol