The risk to patients and imaging providers from medical radiation is often considered low. However, the broadly accepted principal relative to medical radiation is to keep the dose to patients and staff “as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA).”
RadSite’s MIPPA Accreditation Program (MAP) helps support high-quality imaging through a series of quality-benchmarking processes relative to imaging equipment, operation and interpretation and has been recognized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for CT, MRI, PET and SPECT accreditation services. RadSite’s initiatives include a review of radiation safety policies and procedures as well as ensuring that radiation safety educational programs are in place. Although state and federal regulations exist to promote proper imaging practices, gaps do exist in most jurisdictions. RadSite’s standards aim to fill these gaps.
In fact, RadSite’s safety program is designed to include all regulatory functions under a single national program ensuring that all accredited providers demonstrate the maximum in safety initiatives. Not only does RadSite’s safety program address the issue of potential national/regional variations in imaging standards, but RadSite has also identified imaging providers who have forgotten or neglected to register with a state or other agency such that no regulatory activity was in place.
One of the primary reasons for excessive exposure of patients and medical personnel to the adverse effects of ionizing radiation is unnecessary or incorrect imaging studies ordered by a health care professional. It has been suggested that decreasing the number of ionizing imaging studies is the most effective means of controlling excessive medical radiation exposure.1 RadSite addresses this issue through its radiation safety educational program for providers and publications such as the Consumer Guide to Imaging Modalities, an easy-to-understand tool that explains the potential risks and benefits of different imaging procedures. Understanding each type of imaging procedure is one more step to ensuring that each individual is informed and empowered—either as a patient or as the person providing guidance to a loved one.
Medical Radiation Safety
Keeping the medical radiation dose to patients and health care personnel “as low as reasonably achievable” is of paramount importance. For more information on RadSite’s programs and safety initiatives, and to download a copy to the Consumer Guide to Imaging Modalities for your patients, please visit our page dedicated to medical radiation safety.