Code of ethics for the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (Revised): Report of Task Group 109.

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) has established a comprehensive Code of Ethics for its members. The Code is a formal part of AAPM governance, maintained as Professional Policy 24, and includes both principles of ethical practice and the rules by which a complaint will be adjudicated. The structure and content of the Code have been crafted to also serve the much broader purpose of giving practical ethical guidance to AAPM members for making sound decisions in their professional lives. The Code is structured in four major parts: a Preamble, a set of ten guiding Principles, Guidelines that elucidate the application of the Principles in various practice settings, and the formal Complaint process. Guidelines have been included to address evolving social and cultural norms, such as the use of social media and the broadening scope of considerations important in an evolving workplace. The document presented here is the first major revision of the AAPM Code of Ethics since 2008. This revision was approved by the Board of Directors to become effective 1 January 2019.

AAPM medical physics practice guideline 10.a.: Scope of practice for clinical medical physics.

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) is a nonprofit professional society whose primary purposes are to advance the science, education, and professional practice of medical physics. The AAPM has more than 8000 members and is the principal organization of medical physicists in the United States. The AAPM will periodically define new practice guidelines for medical physics practice to help advance the science of medical physics and to improve the quality of service to patients throughout the United States. Existing medical physics practice guidelines will be reviewed for the purpose of revision or renewal, as appropriate, on their fifth anniversary or sooner. Each medical physics practice guideline (MPPG) represents a policy statement by the AAPM, has undergone a thorough consensus process in which it has been subjected to extensive review, and requires the approval of the Professional Council. The medical physics practice guidelines recognize that the safe and effective use of diagnostic and therapeutic radiation requires specific training, skills, and techniques as described in each document. As the review of the previous version of AAPM Professional Policy (PP)-17 (Scope of Practice) progressed, the writing group focused on one of the main goals: to have this document accepted by regulatory and accrediting bodies. After much discussion, it was decided that this goal would be better served through a MPPG. To further advance this goal, the text was updated to reflect the rationale and processes by which the activities in the scope of practice were identified and categorized. Lastly, the AAPM Professional Council believes that this document has benefitted from public comment which is part of the MPPG process but not the AAPM Professional Policy approval process. The following terms are used in the AAPM's MPPGs: Must and Must Not: Used to indicate that adherence to the recommendation is considered necessary to conform to this practice guideline. Should and Should Not: Used to indicate a prudent practice to which exceptions may occasionally be made in appropriate circumstances.

AAPM-RSS Medical Physics Practice Guideline 9.a. for SRS-SBRT.

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) is a nonprofit professional society whose primary purposes are to advance the science, education, and professional practice of medical physics. The AAPM has more than 8,000 members and is the principal organization of medical physicists in the United States. The AAPM will periodically define new practice guidelines for medical physics practice to help advance the science of medical physics and to improve the quality of service to patients throughout the United States. Existing medical physics practice guidelines will be reviewed for revision or renewal, as appropriate, on their fifth anniversary or sooner. Each medical physics practice guideline represents a policy statement by the AAPM, has undergone a thorough consensus process in which it has been subjected to extensive review, and requires the approval of the Professional Council. The medical physics practice guidelines recognize that the safe and effective use of diagnostic and therapeutic radiology requires specific training, skills, and techniques, as described in each document. Reproduction or modification of the published practice guidelines and technical standards by those entities not providing these services is not authorized. The following terms are used in the AAPM practice guidelines: Must and Must Not: Used to indicate that adherence to the recommendation is considered necessary to conform to this practice guideline. Should and Should Not: Used to indicate a prudent practice to which exceptions may occasionally be made in appropriate circumstances. Approved by AAPM Professional Council 3-31-2017 and Executive Committee 4-4-2017.

AAPM Medical Physics Practice Guideline 8.a.: Linear accelerator performance tests.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this guideline is to provide a list of critical performance tests in order to assist the Qualified Medical Physicist (QMP) in establishing and maintaining a safe and effective quality assurance (QA) program. The performance tests on a linear accelerator (linac) should be selected to fit the clinical patterns of use of the accelerator and care should be given to perform tests which are relevant to detecting errors related to the specific use of the accelerator. METHODS: A risk assessment was performed on tests from current task group reports on linac QA to highlight those tests that are most effective at maintaining safety and quality for the patient. Recommendations are made on the acquisition of reference or baseline data, the establishment of machine isocenter on a routine basis, basing performance tests on clinical use of the linac, working with vendors to establish QA tests and performing tests after maintenance. RESULTS: The recommended tests proposed in this guideline were chosen based on the results from the risk analysis and the consensus of the guideline's committee. The tests are grouped together by class of test (e.g., dosimetry, mechanical, etc.) and clinical parameter tested. Implementation notes are included for each test so that the QMP can understand the overall goal of each test. CONCLUSION: This guideline will assist the QMP in developing a comprehensive QA program for linacs in the external beam radiation therapy setting. The committee sought to prioritize tests by their implication on quality and patient safety. The QMP is ultimately responsible for implementing appropriate tests. In the spirit of the report from American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group 100, individual institutions are encouraged to analyze the risks involved in their own clinical practice and determine which performance tests are relevant in their own radiotherapy clinics.

AAPM medical physics practice guideline 6.a.: Performance characteristics of radiation dose index monitoring systems.

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) is a nonprofit professional society whose primary purposes are to advance the science, education and professional practice of medical physics. The AAPM has more than 8,000 members and is the principal organization of medical physicists in the United States. The AAPM will periodically define new practice guidelines for medical physics practice to help advance the science of medical physics and to improve the quality of service to patients throughout the United States. Existing medical physics practice guidelines will be reviewed for the purpose of revision or renewal, as appropriate, on their fifth anniversary or sooner. Each medical physics practice guideline represents a policy statement by the AAPM, has undergone a thorough consensus process in which it has been subjected to extensive review, and requires the approval of the Professional Council. The medical physics practice guidelines recognize that the safe and effective use of diagnostic and therapeutic radiology requires specific training, skills, and techniques, as described in each document. Reproduction or modification of the published practice guidelines and technical standards by those entities not providing these services is not authorized. The following terms are used in the AAPM practice guidelines: •Must and Must Not: Used to indicate that adherence to the recommendation is considered necessary to conform to this practice guideline. •Should and Should Not: Used to indicate a prudent practice to which exceptions may occasionally be made in appropriate circumstances.

AAPM Medical Physics Practice Guideline 5.a.: Commissioning and QA of Treatment Planning Dose Calculations - Megavoltage Photon and Electron Beams.

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) is a nonprofit professional society whose primary purposes are to advance the science, education and professional practice of medical physics. The AAPM has more than 8,000 members and is the principal organization of medical physicists in the United States. The AAPM will periodically define new practice guidelines for medical physics practice to help advance the science of medical physics and to improve the quality of service to patients throughout the United States. Existing medical physics practice guidelines will be reviewed for the purpose of revision or renewal, as appropriate, on their fifth anniversary or sooner. Each medical physics practice guideline represents a policy statement by the AAPM, has undergone a thorough consensus process in which it has been subjected to extensive review, and requires the approval of the Professional Council. The medical physics practice guidelines recognize that the safe and effective use of diagnostic and therapeutic radiology requires specific training, skills, and techniques, as described in each document. Reproduction or modification of the published practice guidelines and technical standards by those entities not providing these services is not authorized. The following terms are used in the AAPM practice guidelines:• Must and Must Not: Used to indicate that adherence to the recommendation is considered necessary to conform to this practice guideline.• Should and Should Not: Used to indicate a prudent practice to which exceptions may occasionally be made in appropriate circumstances.

Medical Physics Practice Guideline 4.a: Development, implementation, use and maintenance of safety checklists.

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) is a nonprofit professional society whose primary purposes are to advance the science, education and professional practice of medical physics. The AAPM has more than 8,000 members and is the principal organization of medical physicists in the United States.The AAPM will periodically define new practice guidelines for medical physics practice to help advance the science of medical physics and to improve the quality of service to patients throughout the United States. Existing medical physics practice guidelines will be reviewed for the purpose of revision or renewal, as appropriate, on their fifth anniversary or sooner.Each medical physics practice guideline represents a policy statement by the AAPM, has undergone a thorough consensus process in which it has been subjected to extensive review, and requires the approval of the Professional Council. The medical physics practice guidelines recognize that the safe and effective use of diagnostic and therapeutic radiology requires specific training, skills, and techniques, as described in each document. Reproduction or modification of the published practice guidelines and technical standards by those entities not providing these services is not authorized.The following terms are used in the AAPM practice guidelines:Must and Must Not: Used to indicate that adherence to the recommendation is considered necessary to conform to this practice guideline.Should and Should Not: Used to indicate a prudent practice to which exceptions may occasionally be made in appropriate circumstances.

The neurointerventional procedure room of the future: predicting likely innovations in design and function.

The Multispecialty Occupational Health Group, as part of their work, have considered likely characteristics of the neurointerventional surgery operating room of tomorrow. Such rooms will be distinguished by certain architectural features and markedly increased information technology features. The novel architectural features will include system proximities, such as embedding the procedure room next to traditional operating rooms, anesthesia recovery units, intensive care units or the emergency department. Novel features will likely also include distinct, contained, open sided control areas for technical and medical staff, integrated modular multimodality capability for non-ionizing extravascular and endovascular imaging and therapeutic tools, and various additional described distinct features. Information technology features will permit importation of multiple imaging datastreams, quality and performance monitoring, measuring and exportation, and utilization trajectory matched automated inventory systems. Additional needs will likely include streaming imaging and physiologic information channels, in selected instances supplemental cross sectional and metabolic imaging equipment, robotic intermediaries and more formally designated stations for datastream and scrub technologists.

Special communication--occupational health hazards in the interventional laboratory: progress report of the multispecialty occupational health group.

The Multispecialty Occupational Health Group (MSOHG), formed in 2005, is an informal coalition of societies representing professionals who work in or are concerned with interventional fluoroscopy. The group's long-term goals are to improve occupational health and operator and staff safety in the interventional laboratory while maintaining quality patient care and optimal use of the laboratory. MSOHG has conducted a dialogue with equipment manufacturers and has developed a list of specific objectives for research and development. The group has also represented the member societies in educating regulators, in educating interventionalists, and in fostering and collaborating on research into occupational health issues affecting interventionalists. Not least of the group's accomplishments, as a result of their collaboration in MSOHG, the group's members have developed a mutual respect that can serve as a basis for joint efforts in the future among interventionalists of different medical specialties.

Occupational health hazards in the interventional laboratory: progress report of the Multispecialty Occupational Health Group.

The Multispecialty Occupational Health Group (MSOHG), formed in 2005, is an informal coalition of societies representing professionals who work in, or are concerned with, interventional fluoroscopy. The group's long-term goals are to improve occupational health and operator and staff safety in the interventional laboratory while maintaining quality patient care and optimal use of the laboratory. MSOHG has conducted a dialogue with equipment manufacturers and has developed a list of specific objectives for research and development. The group has also represented the member societies in educating regulators, in educating interventionalists, and in fostering and collaborating on research into occupational health issues affecting interventionalists. Not least of the group's accomplishments, as a result of their collaboration in MSOHG, the group's members have developed a mutual respect that can serve as a basis for joint efforts in the future among interventionalists of different medical specialties.

Occupational health hazards in the interventional laboratory: progress report of the Multispecialty Occupational Health Group.

The Multispecialty Occupational Health Group (MSOHG), formed in 2005, is an informal coalition of societies representing professionals who work in or are concerned with interventional fluoroscopy. The group's long term goals are to improve occupational health and operator and staff safety in the interventional laboratory while maintaining quality patient care and optimal use of the laboratory. MSOHG has conducted a dialog with equipment manufacturers and has developed a list of specific objectives for research and development. The group has also represented the member societies in educating regulators, in educating interventionalists and in fostering and collaborating on research into occupational health issues affecting interventionalists. Not least of the group's accomplishments, as a result of their collaboration in MSOHG, the group's members have developed a mutual respect that can serve as a basis for joint efforts in the future among interventionalists of different medical specialties.

Code of Ethics for the American Association of Physicists in Medicine: report of Task Group 109.

A comprehensive Code of Ethics for the members of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) is presented as the report of Task Group 109 which consolidates previous AAPM ethics policies into a unified document. The membership of the AAPM is increasingly diverse. Prior existing AAPM ethics polices were applicable specifically to medical physicists, and did not encompass other types of members such as health physicists, regulators, corporate affiliates, physicians, scientists, engineers, those in training, or other health care professionals. Prior AAPM ethics policies did not specifically address research, education, or business ethics. The Ethics Guidelines of this new Code of Ethics have four major sections: professional conduct, research ethics, education ethics, and business ethics. Some elements of each major section may be duplicated in other sections, so that readers interested in a particular aspect of the code do not need to read the entire document for all relevant information. The prior Complaint Procedure has also been incorporated into this Code of Ethics. This Code of Ethics (PP 24-A) replaces the following AAPM policies: Ethical Guidelines for Vacating a Position (PP 4-B); Ethical Guidelines for Reviewing the Work of Another Physicist (PP 5-C); Guidelines for Ethical Practice for Medical Physicists (PP 8-D); and Ethics Complaint Procedure (PP 21-A). The AAPM Board of Directors approved this Code or Ethics on July 31, 2008.

10 CFR Part 35: changes to the NRC rule governing the medical use of radioisotopes and implications for radiologic practice.

In the spring of 2005, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission completed its revision of Title 10, Part 35, of the Code of Federal Regulations, its regulatory framework for the medical use of radioisotopes. Because of the complexity of the regulation and the lengthy period over which the revisions were accomplished, many radiologists remain uninformed regarding changes in the rule. This article highlights some of the more important of these changes as they relate to the practice of radiology, radiation oncology, nuclear medicine, and medical physics.