Congress:
EuroSafe Imaging 2019
Keywords:
CT, Radioprotection / Radiation dose, Action 8 - Radiation protection training and learning material, Action 10 - EuroSafe Imaging Stars, Action 1 - Guidelines, implementation policies, and Clinical Decision Support (ESR iGuide), Safety, Quality assurance
Authors:
D. Husseiny Salama, D. Zidan, A. Hameed, K. Abu El Fottooh, H. Lotfy, H. Gewefel, H. Seif
DOI:
10.26044/esi2019/ESI-0105
Background/introduction
The rapid development of radiology in modern medicine in Egypt has resulted in an explosive expansion of radiologic examinations and consecutively emerged several related problems.
Today,
it is also worth noting that the large number of radiological equipment operating in the country and other several factors have inevitably contributed by far to the unnecessary medical exposure of patients to ionizing radiation.
In addition to this,
the wider availability of the imaging technology,
the confidence gained by the patients and the physicians,
and improvements in the technology leading to subsequent lower threshold for using it,
also played a central role in increasing,
unfortunately,
medical costs.
The principle of justification in medical exposures refers to the appropriate use of radiological investigations,
and,
as recognized by most medical professionals,
it can be achieved by the implementation of the clinical imaging guidelines (CIGs).
Although CIGs have shown to be useful in selecting the most appropriate medical imaging modality,
resulting in the reduction of inappropriate radiologic examinations,
they are not yet readily available in many countries except in few developing countries,
due to differences in health care systems and the diversity of medical circumstances and resources.
Furthermore,
the use of advanced imaging systems,
including Computed Tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),
is widely recognized as a source of inappropriate utilization,
but many health systems worldwide,
including Egypt,
have no way of evaluating whether imaging orders are appropriate.
In addition to the unnecessary financial and radiation exposure burden,
the main problem of the inappropriate imaging,
is that it may not basically answer the clinical question.
Imaging referral guidelines facilitates the choice of the best test,
but still their acceptance by the referrers,
use,
and value may be limited.
This article explains the processes and methodologies undertaken in Egypt to attain an improvement in the appropriateness of CT radiological examinations within the national health care system,
using the ESR “iGuide”.