Examples of Radiation Protection Actions
As a leading international radiology organization and an NGO in official relations with the WHO,
the International Society of Radiology (ISR) represents its members and works with others to improve radiation safety worldwide (2). In 2013,
the Society established an International Commission on Radiological Quality and Safety (ICRQS) to continue with the work previously undertaken by the International Radiology Quality Network (IRQN).
The Society works to strengthen communication and collaboration with all stakeholders in radiological quality and safety improvement actions. It publishes a newsletter as a forum for stakeholders from different disciplines to share experience,
promote awareness,
create synergy,
minimize duplication,
encourage participation,
and facilitate improvements in radiological quality and safety (Figure 3).
On behalf of the Society,
the ICRQS collaborates with others in improvement actions. One of these collaborations is the development of teaching material and delivering training to improve practitioner awareness and use of referral guidelines by working with the World Health Organization (WHO),
Dubai Health Authority,
and Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences in 2014 (3) (Figure 4).
The recently revised “Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources: International Basic Safety Standards” (BSS) specify the generic and specific requirements,
guide safe practice and underpin radiation safety legislation and regulations (4). However,
the use of BSS in practice is voluntary. Effective implementation requires awareness,
training,
infrastructure building,
and policy adoption. The Society reviewed and provided feedback to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) “Safety Guide DS399”. This publication aims to facilitate the implementation of the BSS in radiology. With the IAEA and WHO,
there is an on-going collaboration to raise awareness and advocate the use of the BSS to radiologists (5). For example,
a joint awareness session was presented during the International Congress of Radiology held in 2014.
The WHO launched a Global Initiative on Radiation Safety in Health Care Settings to mobilize the health sector towards a safer use of radiation in medicine in 2009 (6). Forming part of this initiative,
the Society worked with the WHO,
Governments of Kenya,
Malaysia,
Spain,
and Uganda and eight other NGOs in a Side Event (7) during the 2015 World Health Assembly (WHA). The WHA is the decision-making body of the WHO. Delegations from the 194 WHO Member States,
NGOs in official relations and other UN agencies attend this Geneva event each year. The Side Event entitled “Imaging for Saving Kids - the Inside Story about Patient Safety in Pediatric Radiology” (Figure 5) enabled the collaborators to inform the delegates about patient safety challenges and solutions in pediatric radiology and offered an opportunity for the organizers to discuss future collaborations.