Radiation Right®
Patient safety is always our primary concern.
Dose reduction is our priority.
At HealthOne, our hospital staff is engaged in this effort. Our radiation-reduction efforts focus on:
- Preventing accidental or isolated incidents of excessive exposure.
- Reducing cumulative radiation dose: the sum total of radiation received by a given patient over time.
- Focusing on nationally accepted guidelines to assure that we always give the lowest effective dose of radiation possible.
Here are the ways we are working to minimize both accidental and cumulative radiation dose.
The right imaging exam, at the right time, with the right radiation dose.
Radiation Right® is for our patients whose tests, ongoing treatment or other medical procedures could expose them to medical radiation. Your physician and members of your care team want you to understand the possible benefits or risks involved and the steps we are taking to ensure your safety.
Your physician can best explain benefits that might be gained by undergoing a computed tomography (CT) scan or an interventional radiology procedure, such as a balloon angioplasty, fluoroscopy (X-ray), ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or other type of procedure.
Studies have shown that in addition to benefits, there might also be risks that should be considered by patients and those treating them. Some government agencies and medical organizations have stressed the adoption of two guiding principles of radiation protection for patients: appropriate justification for ordering each procedure and careful optimization of the radiation dose applied during each procedure.
Radiation Right® incorporates these baseline recommendations but adds additional steps, including: adoption of education and competency standards for clinical professionals, meeting and achieving nationally recognized certification standards and adopting "As Low As Reasonably Achievable" or ALARA dose protocols. Radiation Right® also follows The Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging's "Image Gently" protocol for pediatric patients.
If you have any concerns at all about receiving radiation, a staff member will be glad to explain your procedure in greater detail.
