The Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance (MITA) has endorsed eight principles to reduce exposure to unnecessary medical radiation, minimize medical errors, and improve reporting of adverse events, the Arlington, VA-based organization said.
The proposals come amid heightened scrutiny of radiation from medical sources. The U.S. Food and Administration (FDA) this week announced that it plans a new initiative to more closely regulate diagnostic and therapeutic radiation, while the U.S. Congress is also expected to hold hearings on the issue.
In its proposal, MITA recommends:
- Expanding and integrating appropriateness criteria into physician decision-making
- Creating a national dosage registry to ensure longitudinal tracking of dose levels for patients across America
- Adopting a standardized method of storing diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy information within electronic health records
- Expanding mandatory accreditation for advanced imaging facilities
- Establishing minimum standards for training and education for hospital and imaging facility personnel who perform medical imaging exams and deliver radiation therapy treatments
- Developing enhanced operational safety procedures and checklists to reduce medical errors
- Expanding and standardizing the reporting of medical errors associated with medical radiation across stakeholders in a manner that is transparent for patients, families, and physicians
- Developing radiation dose reference values to provide a data point to compare the dose level of a specific procedure
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