They understand that radiation dose is something to be aware of and trust that their caregivers are using equipment to optimize their dose. With dose reduction tools and dose tracking software, healthcare providers can feel confident they are customizing dose for their patients, using as little dose as possible for their clinical needs, and as a result, patients will be drawn to a hospital that is conscious of this concern.

This is particularly true for pediatrics hospitals, or for patients that require frequent radiation treatments or diagnosis exams. These tools will be the foundation of a much-needed modern radiation protection program in medicine.


Also critical to any radiation dose management program is examining the impact of radiation on clinicians, who can be exposed to high levels of radiation during procedures. We are just starting to see the longer-term impact of radiation exposure on clinicians.

Health systems that proactively mitigate radiation exposure for staff and set the appropriate benchmarks to protect them will have an advantage when it comes to recruitment and retention.

DOTmed News: What do these new requirements mean for patients?

DS: The end goal for all of these requirements is to drive toward a more individualized treatment plan for patients, review and analyze dose data and benchmark the facility against peers. In the past, reimbursement forced clinicians to prescribe the lowest dose/cost options first, starting with an X-ray versus CT or MRI.

But we know that not all dose is created equal, and exam choices (and associated radiation levels) should be decided by appropriate clinical indication. A CT scan is a more detailed diagnostic tool than a basic X-ray, and in some cases, can prevent the need for exploratory surgery.

Radiologists now work within the American College of Radiology’s Appropriateness Criteria that justifies and optimizes the dose that the patient will receive. The Joint Commissions requirements will help make sure that these efforts are standardized across the board and that health systems are following industry best practices and benchmarks.

Most importantly, clinicians need actionable data to make more informed decisions about the right radiation dose for each patient. With the right data in one place, clinicians can make comparisons with dose registries and other similar databases to benchmark their clinical dose performance with industry standards and peers.

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