Which QA activity ensures consistent image quality across exams in DR?

• A. Detector performance checks
• B. Image archiving
• C. Patient comfort
• D. Software updates

Answer: (A)

In digital radiography, keeping image quality consistent across exams comes from regular detector performance checks. These tests verify that the image receptor responds to a given exposure in a predictable, uniform way, so brightness, contrast, and detail remain stable from one study to the next. They assess factors like the detector’s response to a known exposure, field uniformity, dark current/noise, and overall dynamic range, helping catch drift or degradation in the receptor before it affects clinical images. If the detector’s sensitivity shifts, the same technique could produce different brightness or contrast, leading to inconsistency that QA aims to prevent. Image archiving deals with storing images and metadata, not the acquisition quality. Patient comfort affects the experience but not the consistency of image quality across exams. Software updates can influence how images are processed or displayed, but the activity that directly ensures consistent image quality through the imaging chain is regular detector performance checks.