New York Times Article Features Quality and Safety Co-Chair, Former BOC Chair, and ACR Whitepaper on Radiation Dose in Medicine
E. Stephen Amis, M.D., former chair of the ACR Board of Chancellors, Richard L. Morin, Ph.D., co-chair of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Commission on Quality and Safety, and ACR Fellow Fred A. Mettler Jr., M.D., discuss radiation dose in medicine, patient safety, and the importance of ACR accreditation in a June 19 New York Times article.
The article, written by reporter Roni Caryn Rabin, focuses on a recent National Council on Radiation Protection and Management (NCRP) study that stated that the amount of radiation that Americans receive annually from medical imaging procedures has greatly increased since 1980. Regarding the NCRP study, Dr. Mettler said, "This is an absolutely sentinel event, a wake-up call."
Amis pointed out that medical imaging procedures have greatly enhanced and altered medical practice by replacing more costly and more invasive techniques and that such examinations are of great benefit when qualified providers, such as board-certified radiologists, perform them for medical indications.. However, he did urge patients to take a more active role in the imaging process.
"We're not saying you shouldn't have X-rays or CT scans — they're wonderful; they've totally revolutionized the practice of medicine," said Amis, chairman of radiology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center in New York. "But if you go into the emergency room with recurrent pain and get a CT scan every time you show up, that's not good. Use common sense."
Morin echoed those sentiment by saying, "They [patients] can always inquire of the referring physician, 'Is this test necessary?'” He added, "Exams are often done for reasons that are not quite appropriate."
The article references ACR Appropriateness Criteria® and quotes from the ACR Whitepaper on Radiation Dose in Medicine. The article also stated, “When undergoing a scan or exam, patients should try to use a facility accredited by the American College of Radiology. The accreditation, which is voluntary, means the machines are surveyed and calibrated to use the correct level of radiation and the technologists are certified. It also means the images are likely to be of higher quality, reducing the likelihood of having to repeat a procedure and suffer additional exposure.”
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