For commissioning a linear accelerator for clinical use, medical physicists are faced with many challenges including the need for precision, a variety of testing methods, data validation, the lack of standards, and time constraints. Since commissioning beam data are treated as a reference and ultimately used by treatment planning systems, it is vitally important that the collected data are of t...

discussed by looking at the development of commissioning (or purchasing) in the internal market. In the following section PCG/Ts main institutional features will be described and the progress they have made in commissioning will be discussed. An international comparison with American Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) will be developed before a brief concluding discussion of the central is...

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to evaluate the implementation of a 'virtual' (computer-mediated) approach to health research commissioning. This had been introduced experimentally in a DOH programme--the 'Health of Londoners Programme'--in order to assess whether is could enhance the accessibility, transparency and effectiveness of commissioning health research. The study described ...

BACKGROUND Clinical commissioning is the centrepiece of government health reforms. Engagement with the reforms is important if they are to bring about improvements in the quality of healthcare. This is important in any healthcare system, not just the UK National Health Service (NHS). This study draws on data from a specially commissioned survey, exploring the extent to which general practitione...

commbsioning particle beam lines in nsually a very t imeconsuming and labor-intensive task for accelerator physicists. To aid in commissioning, we developed a model-based expert system that identifies error-free regions, w well a~ localiiing beam line errors. Thii paper will give examples of the use of our try&em for the SLC commissioning.

BACKGROUND The current reorganisation of the English NHS is one of the most comprehensive ever seen. This study reports early evidence from the development of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), a key element in the new structures. AIM To explore the development of CCGs in the context of what is known from previous studies of GP involvement in commissioning. DESIGN AND SETTING Case study ...