Monitoring of medical radiation exposure for individuals

Radiation exposure and the potential risks from medical imaging continue to be highly visible issues, especially for the medical imaging community. There has been progress with dose management, particularly dose reduction, due to both technical and application advancements. There are various existing actions focusing on the collection and analysis of population exposure data for radiological procedures. However, there is an increasing mandate, particularly in the United States but globally as well, for dose recording, monitoring and reporting of medical radiation exposure for individual patients. There are many benefits to radiation monitoring and the strategies for implementation will vary, partly depending on resources. This action supports tenants of medical professionalism, including transparency and the primacy of patients. While challenges remain, the medical imaging community must take ownership of the innovative actions related to the recording and monitoring of cumulative exposures from medical radiation procedures. A successful outcome requires vision; leadership and collaborations from the different stakeholders in medical imaging to overcome challenges and ensure implementation of actions to further improve quality in radiology and radiation safety.

Duke Scholars

Author Donald Paul Frush Radiology, Pediatric Radiology

Author Madan Mohan Rehani Radiology