Congress:
EuroSafe Imaging 2016
Keywords:
Action 12 - Cooperation with international radiation protection initiatives and other stakeholders including IAEA, WHO, ICRP, HERCA, European Commission, Action 10 - Improved communication and collaboration of health professionals in radiation protection, Action 3 - Optimisation, diagnostic reference levels, image quality, Action 2 - Clinical diagnostic reference levels (DRLs), Action 13 - Stakeholder engagement and collaboration
Authors:
K. Katsari, R. Illing, A. Papachristodoulou, C. A. Ciortea, V. Herédia, S. Puggina, G. Volford, X. Boulanger, A. Kaczor
DOI:
10.1594/esi2016/ESI-0015
Background/Introduction
Introduction
Computed Tomography (CT) was first introduced in the early 1970s.
It quickly became an essential tool for the diagnosis of many medical conditions and the evaluation of treatment progress.
Improved technology and the development of helical and multi-detector CT resulted in even broader utilization with a rapid use growth in many countries [1].
Although CT has become a major workhorse of diagnostic medicine,
it is a procedure that uses higher levels of ionizing radiation than other x-ray modalities.
Concerns about CT radiation began in the early 2000s,
focused initially on pediatric CT [2,
3] with subsequent articles raising concern for potential carcinogenesis from medical imaging [4].
Optimization of medical exposure primarily requires that the relevance of each diagnostic examination be justified [5].
If a CT scan is clearly indicated and well ordered,
the benefits of are immense and certainly exceed the risks.
The general principle we follow in radiology is ALARA: doses should be as low as reasonably achievable,
without compromising the diagnostic benefits of the CT procedure.
The inherent risks associated with ionizing radiation are an undeniable argument for the radiological community to invest in CT dose management.
Affidea,
a Dutch holding company and one of the largest healthcare investors and operators in Europe,
launched a management strategy of dose and good practice in CT across its network in March of 2014,
namely the CT Dose Excellence Campaign.
The main goals of the Dose Excellence Campaign are to ensure and improve patient safety,
provide unified high quality services and foster a dose awareness culture.
Objective
The objective of this poster is to introduce the unique Affidea Dose Excellence Strategy implemented in 9 European countries.