CRCPD

What is NEXT?
The Nationwide Evaluation of X-ray Trends (NEXT) program is a partnership between the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, Inc. (CRCPD) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), with financial support from the American College of Radiology (ACR) since 1998, to characterize the radiation doses patients receive during diagnostic x-ray examinations.

Each year the NEXT survey program selects a particular radiological examination for study and captures radiation exposure data from a nationally representative sample of U.S. clinical facilities. Volunteer state radiation control personnel conduct the surveys using reference phantoms most of which are clinically validated to represent the radiation attenuation presented by an average-size patient. Surveys are repeated periodically to track trends as technology and clinical practices change.

The NEXT trifold brochures contain a summary of significant technical findings of a particular survey, and are intended to provide a brief snapshot of the state-of-practice to both the radiation protection specialist and to the practicing radiological community. Clinical facilities can compare findings at their site for patient exposure and clinical quality indicators with statistical findings representing the U.S. practicing community. The companion brochure 'Thirty Years of NEXT' briefly summarizes selected technical parameters of most of the past surveys.

NEXT protocols provide procedures for capturing technical data associated with the practice of the surveyed diagnostic x-ray procedure, including patient skin-entrance air kerma, image quality, clinical technique factors, quality of film processing, and general QA/QC procedures. NEXT protocols must be used in conjunction with the associated NEXT phantom in order to compare acquired exposure data with existing NEXT survey results.

The first trifold published: 1992 survey
The first NEXT document published online: 1996 survey
The first NEXT protocol published online: 2000 CT survey
The first trifold covering a span of time: Twenty-five Years of NEXT
The current trifold covering a span of time: Thirty Years of NEXT

Thirty Years of NEXT Trifold. Briefly summarizes selected technical parameters of past surveys. [Published November 2006]
Twenty-five Years of NEXT Trifold. Briefly summarizes selected technical parameters of past surveys. [Published in 2003]
2002 Abdomen/Lumbosacral Spine Survey
- Trifolds: NEXT 2002 Abdomen Radiography Survey and NEXT 2002 Lumbosacral Spine Radiography Survey [Both published 8/18/06]
- Protocol: NEXT 2002 Abdomen and Lumbosacral Spine Radiography Protocol [ 631 KB] [Added 10/13/04]
- Document: Nationwide Evaluation of X-ray Trends (NEXT) Tabulation and Graphical Summary of 2002 Abdomen/Lumbosacral Spine Survey, October 2006, CRCPD Publication E-06-2b. Note: this document was originally published January 2006, CRCPD Publication Number E-06-2, but removed from availability shortly thereafter. The document was republished March 2006 after undergoing changes to six pages, CRCPD publication E-06-2a. Changes were made to two pages of the document in October 2006 and republished as E-06-2b. A total of 12 pages have been replaced since the original publication of the document. Page ii lists the pages that have been changed. (Available online at no charge; $15 for a computer-generated hard copy). This document is best navigated using Acrobat 7. Click here to download Acrobat Reader at no charge. [Republished 10/5/06]
2001 Survey of Adult Chest Radiography
- Trifold: NEXT 2001 Chest Trifold [Initially published 8/27/04; revised 11/9/04]
- Protocol: NEXT 2001 Adult Chest Protocol consisting of:
  Chest Protocol procedures document (pdf) [Reposted 12/13/02; text changed on page 6, item 9: orthodontics changed to orthopedics.]
  Surveyor Worksheet (pdf)
  Surveyor Worksheet (Excel 2002)
  Facility Questionnaire (pdf)
  Facility Questionnaire (Excel 2002)
- Document: Nationwide Evaluation of X-ray Trends (NEXT) Tabulation and Graphical Summary of 2001 Survey of Adult Chest Radiography, [ 842 KB] September 2005, CRCPD publication E-05-2 (Available online at no charge; $15 for a computer-generated hard copy).
2000 Computed Tomography
- Trifold: NEXT 2000 Computed Tomography Trifold [Published April 2006]
- Protocol: NEXT 2000 Computed Tomography Protocol [Published in 2001]
- Document: Nationwide Evaluation of X-Ray Trends (NEXT) Tabulation and Graphical Summary of 2000 Survey of Computed Tomography, August 2007, CRCPD publication E-07-2. This document is best viewed with Acrobat Reader 6.0 or higher. (Available online at no charge; $15.00 for a computer-generated hard copy). [Published 8/30/07] Also available: NEXT 2000 CT Survey black text on white background/no color coding version (compliant with section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act)
1999 Dental Radiography Survey
- Trifold: NEXT 1999 Dental X-ray Data Trifold [Posted 12/23/03]
- Protocol: NEXT 1999 Dental X-Ray Protocol [Added 3/29/04]
- Document: Nationwide Evaluation of X-Ray Trends (NEXT) Tabulation and Graphical Summary of 1999 Dental Radiography Survey, November 2003, CRCPD publication E-03-6 (Available online at no charge; $15.00 for a computer-generated hard copy).
1998 Pediatric Chest Survey
- Trifold: NEXT 1998 Pediatric Chest X-ray Data
- Protocol: NEXT 1998 Pediatric Chest Protocol [Added 9/30/04]
- Document: Nationwide Evaluation of X-Ray Trends (NEXT) Tabulation and Graphical Summary of 1998 Pediatric Chest Survey, [ 5,815 KB] September 2004, CRCPD publication E-04-5 (Available online at no charge; $15.00 for a computer-generated hard copy).
1996 Fluoroscopy Survey
- Trifold: NEXT 1996 Upper G.I. Fluoroscopy Trifold
- Document: Nationwide Evaluation of X-Ray Trends (NEXT) Tabulation and Graphical Summary of 1996 Fluoroscopy Survey, October 2002, CRCPD publication E-02-4 (Available online at no charge; $15.00 for a computer-generated hard copy).
1995 Abdomen and Lumbosacral Spine Survey
- Trifold: NEXT 1995 Abdomen and LS Spine X-Ray Trifold
- Document: Nationwide Evaluation of X-Ray Trends (NEXT) Tabulation and Graphical Summary of 1995 Abdomen and Lumbosacral Spine Survey, September 2000, CRCPD publication 00-2 ($25.00).
1994 Chest Radiography Survey
- Trifold: NEXT 1994 P/A Chest X-Ray Trifold
- Document: Nationwide Evaluation of X-Ray Trends (NEXT) Summary of 1994 Chest Radiography Survey, July 1998, CRCPD Publication 98-2 ($15.00).

1993 Dental Survey
- Trifold: NEXT 1993 Dental X-Ray Trifold
- Document: Nationwide Evaluation of X-Ray Trends (NEXT) Tabulation and Graphical Summary of 1993 Dental Survey, September 1996, CRCPD Publication 96-3 ($25.00).

1992 Mammography Survey
- Trifold: NEXT 1992 Mammography X-Ray Trifold
- Document: Nationwide Evaluation of X-Ray Trends (NEXT) Tabulation and Graphical Summary of 1992 Mammography Survey, March 1995, CRCPD Publication 95-2 ($25.00).

Nationwide Evaluation of X-Ray Trends (NEXT) Summary of 1990 Computerized Tomography Survey and 1991 Fluoroscopy Survey, January 1994, CRCPD Publication 94-2 ($25.00).

Nationwide Evaluation of X-Ray Trends (NEXT) Tabulation & Graphical Summary of 1989 Abdomen and Lumbo-Sacral Spine Survey in Private Practice and Chiropractor's Offices, May 1991, CRCPD Publication 91-3 ($15.00).

Nationwide Evaluation of X-Ray Trends (NEXT) Tabulation and Graphical Summary of 1988 Mammography Survey, October 1990, CRCPD Publication 90-7 ($15.00).

Nationwide Evaluation of X-Ray Trends (NEXT) Evaluation of Past Impact, Current Status, and Future Plans, August 1990, CRCPD Publication 90-5 ($20.00).

Mammography in NEXT, excerpt from CRCPD Publication 90-3, the Proceedings from the Twenty-second National Conference on Radiation Control, ($5.00).

Nationwide Evaluation of X-Ray Trends (NEXT) Tabulation and Graphical Summary of Surveys 1984 through 1987, August 1989, CRCPD Publication 89-3 ($25.00).

Publications Order Form

For NEXT information see also http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/radhlth/next.html

For a complete listing of publications available from CRCPD (many available for downloading at no charge) go to publications.asp. Printable List of Publications We also have a great deal of information under Free_Docs.asp, all of which is available for downloading at no charge.

Throughout our website, appears at links that leave the CRCPD website. (For more information, refer to Legal Stuff.)

A number of the documents on CRCPD's website are in PDF format; you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to read or print them. You may download this program free of charge from Adobe by clicking on "Get Acrobat Reader."