Final answer:
Quality assurance is the plan of action designed to maximize the diagnostic value of radiographs while minimizing patient exposure, involving techniques like geometric targeting and basic radiation protection measures such as time, distance, and shielding.
Step-by-step explanation:
Quality assurance is a plan of action to ensure that the radiographs produced have maximum diagnostic yield with minimal patient exposure. Techniques such as geometric targeting for well-defined tumors, which involve passing a narrow beam of radiation through the patient from multiple directions to concentrate the dose in the tumor, are part of this approach. Additionally, radiation protection measures which include minimizing the time in the radiation environment, keeping distance from the radiation source, and utilizing proper shielding, all contribute to achieving higher therapeutic ratios while ensuring patient safety. Instances of overexposure to X-rays can lead to serious health risks such as cancer, hence the importance of these protective measures in medical diagnostics and treatments. New technologies and faster films have contributed to a reduction in exposure times and subsequently, patients’ received doses.