Barcelona Successfully Hosts Specialized Course on Clinical Audits in Radiotherapy

From June 10 to 13, 2025, the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in Barcelona hosted the course “Clinical Audits in Radiation Oncology: Training for Auditors and Auditees”, a high-level training activity organized by the European project CAT-ClinART (EU4Health Programme).

Over four intensive days, professionals from the field—radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiotherapy technologists—delved into well-established methodologies such as QUATRO and B-QUATRO, participated in hands-on sessions with simulated audits, and worked on quality indicators and benchmarking tools. The goal of the training is to promote continuous improvement in radiotherapy care, ensuring safe, high-quality, and equitable treatment for all patients.

B-QUATRO in the Spotlight
The course focused on B-QUATRO, the Belgian adaptation of the international QUATRO method developed to assess the quality and safety of radiation oncology services in line with European Directive 2013/59/Euratom. Its success lies in peer-to-peer audits conducted by active professionals who can generate useful and feasible recommendations for each audited center.

A Faculty of International Renown
The course featured speakers with internationally recognized expertise in clinical audits and quality in radiotherapy:

• Dr. Núria Jornet – Expert in Medical Physics, Hospital de Sant Pau (Barcelona)
• Dr. Antonio Herreros – Medical Physicist, Hospital Clínic (Barcelona), Associate Professor at the University of Barcelona
• Dr. Gemma Sancho – Head of the Radiation Oncology Department, Hospital de Sant Pau (Barcelona)
• Prof. Primoz Strojan – Radiation Oncologist, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana (Slovenia)
• Prof. Dirk Verellen – Director of Medical Physics, Iridium Netwerk/University of Antwerp (Belgium), expert in the Belgian B-QUATRO project
• Dr. Aude Vaandering – Radiotherapy Technologist and Quality Manager, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc (Belgium), expert in the Belgian B-QUATRO project
• Dr. Xavier Maldonado – Head of Radiation Oncology, Hospital Vall d’Hebron (Barcelona)
• Dr. Carles Muñoz – Head of Medical Physics, Catalan Institute of Oncology (Girona)

The course was endorsed by SEFM (Spanish Society of Medical Physics) and SEOR (Spanish Society of Radiation Oncology).

Day-by-Day Training Program

Day 1 – June 10: Regulatory Framework and Current Status
The opening day laid the conceptual foundation for the course. After the welcome session, participants reviewed the European legal framework (BSSD 2013/59/Euratom) and the findings of the QUADRANT project on the implementation of clinical audits in radiotherapy. The session concluded with a comparison of the QUATRO and B-QUATRO methodologies, highlighting their similarities and the improvements introduced in the Belgian version.

Day 2 – June 11: Audit Methodologies
The second day focused on the tools and techniques required to conduct an audit. Speakers explained the use of checklists and standardized forms, how to plan interviews, and the dynamics of opening and closing meetings. The specific roles of the Medical Physics Expert (MPE), Radiation Oncologist (RO), and Radiotherapy Technologists (RTT) were outlined. Live demonstrations and real case discussions helped reinforce the concepts.

Day 3 – June 12: Practical Workshops
The third day was dedicated to putting theory into practice. Divided into groups, participants applied checklists to four key areas: infrastructure, patient-centered procedures, equipment and information systems, and quality management. Each group presented its findings and discussed strategies to strengthen safety and efficiency in their clinical settings.

Day 4 – June 13: From Data to Improvement
The final day addressed the critical phase of the audit: transforming data into action. Best practices for drafting the final report were reviewed, lessons learned from the B-QUATRO experience were shared, and participants were introduced to quality indicators and benchmarking techniques. Attendees designed specific improvement plans for implementation at their own institutions.

Committed to European Standards
This training aligns with the European Cancer Plan and Directive BSSD 2013/59/Euratom, which mandate regular clinical audits. Likewise, it complies with the provisions of the recent Royal Decree 391/2025, of May 13, which establishes the quality and safety criteria for radiotherapy care units.Through initiatives like this, CAT-ClinART reinforces its commitment to excellent, safe, and accessible cancer care for all patients in Catalonia and across Europe.

For more information and future editions, visit: www.catclinart.eu