Congress:
EuroSafe Imaging 2019
Keywords:
Action 6 - Clinical audit tool for imaging, Action 12 - Information for and communication with patients, Radioprotection / Radiation dose, CT, Digital radiography, Conventional radiography, Radiation safety, Health policy and practice, Quality assurance
Authors:
M. Ulla, A. Dafouz, D. E. Andisco, S. A. A. Blanco, R. D. García-Mónaco
DOI:
10.26044/esi2019/ESI-0036
Background/introduction
At a meeting in the city of Bonn,
Germany,
in 2012,
10 priority actions were identified for the improvement of Radiation Protection in Medicine (RPM) and were endorsed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
This resulted in a global endeavor known as Bonn calls for action [1].
Among the actions enounced,
the most directly linked to the culture of RPM were:
-
Action 6: Increase availability of improved global information on medical exposures and occupational exposures in medicine
-
Action 7: Improve prevention of medical radiation incidents and accidents
-
Action 8: Strengthen radiation safety culture in health careTo promote this endeavor among European radiologists,
the ESR launched its own quality and safety initiative,
termed EuroSafe Imaging Stars.
By implementing 21 citerions,
it further contributed to achieve the objectives of the Bonn Call for Action [2].
Eurosafe criterions specifically related with safety culture were:
-
Criterion 14 - Patient information on radiation issues.
Easily accessible information materials on radiation protection principles and practices are available to patients and carers.
-
Criterion 19 - Educational programme in radiation protection.
Measures to educate staff about best practice in radiation protection are in place in the imaging department.
The International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) expressed in 2008 "The concept of culture relates to the ideas,
beliefs and customs that are shared and accepted by people in a society,
there are no differences between sectors (medical,
nuclear,
industry),
whereby radiation protection culture can be understood as a combination of habits and knowledge of radioprotection in all its aspects for workers,
patients,
population and the environment,
and in all situations,
combining scientific and social dimensions "[3].
With the advance of medical technology in the use of ionizing radiation,
the need to contemplate its safety in health care should ideally emerge from spontaneous (non-obligatory) acts.
This situation,
if achieved,
is perhaps the most spontaneous way in which the fulfillment of the RPM is carried out successfully.
Following this philosophy we implemented a program with the aim of creating a culture of radioprotection in our hospital.