Launch of CLAUD-IT: Enhancing Quality and Safety in Medical Applications of Ionising Radiation Across Europe

Vienna, 01.10.2024 — The CLAUD-IT project, a pioneering 36-month initiative co-funded by the European Union under the EU4Health Programme 2021-2027, has officially launched. Running from September 2024 to August 2027, this project aims to spread the usage of clinical audit in radiology and nuclear medicine in EU Member States, implementing the agenda for medical applications of ionising radiation, as outlined in the SAMIRA action plan. By organizing clinical audit campaigns, CLAUD-IT will improve the quality and safety of radiology and nuclear medicine across the EU. The project brings together 14 partners from 10 countries, demonstrating a collaborative effort to enhance patient care and safety.

Clinical audits are recognized as a critical component in improving medical imaging quality and safety, and they are legally mandated by the European Basic Safety Standards Directive, 2013/59/Euratom. Despite this requirement, clinical audits remain under-implemented in many EU Member States. CLAUD-IT aims to address this gap by improving clinical audit practices and promoting their implementation in radiology and nuclear medicine.

Professor Roman Kloeckner, the project’s scientific coordinator for the Radiology section, emphasized the significance of this initiative: “CLAUD-IT represents a crucial step forward in ensuring that clinical audits are not just a regulatory requirement but an integral part of medical practice in radiology and nuclear medicine. By standardizing and promoting clinical audit practices, we can significantly enhance the quality and safety of patient care across Europe.”

The project will build on the successes of the QuADRANT and EU-JUST-CT projects and utilize resources developed by the European Society of Radiology (ESR) and the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM). An Implementation Board will be established, comprising national implementation teams from the participating countries. This Board, which will include representatives from national radiology and nuclear medicine societies and relevant authorities, will oversee the planning and support of clinical audit campaigns, ensuring that these audits become a core element of the healthcare system.

Professor Laura Evangelista, the project’s scientific coordinator for the Nuclear Medicine section, stated, “The interdisciplinary and collaborative approach of CLAUD-IT is key to its success. By developing updated guidelines and training programs, and by piloting audit campaigns in nine EU Member States, we are setting the foundation for widespread adoption of clinical audits. This will ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes and higher standards of care.”

Clinical audits in radiology will be guided by ESPERANTO, the ESR’s guide to clinical audit in radiology, with a new 4th edition being developed as part of CLAUD-IT. Additionally, a specific guide for nuclear medicine will be created. The project will also develop a training program for auditors and provide comprehensive supporting documents and guidelines. All resources will be made available through an open-access repository, serving as a centralized platform for clinical audit information in radiology and nuclear medicine.

CLAUD-IT will pilot audit campaigns in radiology and nuclear medicine in nine EU Member States, including Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, and Spain. The audits will be conducted in two rounds, beginning with 11 hospitals within the consortium. Based on the feedback and lessons learned, a second round will be organized in an additional 3-6 hospitals per participating country.

Professor Kloeckner added, “By conducting these pilot campaigns and refining our approach, CLAUD-IT aims to demonstrate the value of clinical audits and facilitate their integration into routine clinical practice. This project will not only support Member States in fulfilling regulatory requirements but also drive continuous improvement in medical imaging.”

Professor Evangelista concluded, “We are excited to share the progress of CLAUD-IT with the broader medical community. Our goal is to create a lasting impact on the quality and safety of radiology and nuclear medicine procedures, ensuring that patients across Europe receive the highest standard of care.”

The CLAUD-IT project is coordinated by the European Institute for Biomedical Imaging Research (EIBIR), which plays a central role in fostering collaborative research initiatives in biomedical imaging across Europe. This project is also supported by the European Society of Radiology and the European Association of Nuclear Medicine, two leading organizations committed to advancing the field of medical imaging and enhancing patient care. Their combined expertise and resources will be instrumental in the successful implementation and impact of CLAUD-IT.

For more information on CLAUD-IT and to access project resources, please visit https://www.eibir.org/projects/claud-it/.

The CLAUD-IT project is co-funded under the EU4Health Programme 2021–2027 under grant agreement no. 101160903. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

For any enquiries contact the EIBIR office at [email protected] or [email protected].  

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