Expect the Joint Commission to have Radiology departments within their sites on future inspections and audits. This alert, published today, notes the increase of radiation doses to patients nearly doubling over the last 20 years. As we all know, there is a relationship between the amount of radiation someone receives and the risk for developing some kind of physical effect.
What does this mean for us as technologists? You can expect to have more intensive protocoling for CT exams, increased requirements for physicians to discuss necessity of radiation-producing exams, physicists being consulted regarding patient dose prior to individual exams, and more thorough documentation of radiation dose per exam to patients, including free-standing imaging clinics. More education about the principles of ALARA and the operation of these complex machines, as well as ways to document and measure all of these goals.
Looking at the big picture, all of these things may influence work flow, so there will naturally be some resistance and a period of adjustment. However, these new measures are also going to be necessary in order to ensure Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. Most importantly, this will serve to protect our patients from unnecessary radiation dose for exams that have alternative screening methods.
Click here to read the full Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert
What does this mean for us as technologists? You can expect to have more intensive protocoling for CT exams, increased requirements for physicians to discuss necessity of radiation-producing exams, physicists being consulted regarding patient dose prior to individual exams, and more thorough documentation of radiation dose per exam to patients, including free-standing imaging clinics. More education about the principles of ALARA and the operation of these complex machines, as well as ways to document and measure all of these goals.
Looking at the big picture, all of these things may influence work flow, so there will naturally be some resistance and a period of adjustment. However, these new measures are also going to be necessary in order to ensure Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. Most importantly, this will serve to protect our patients from unnecessary radiation dose for exams that have alternative screening methods.
Click here to read the full Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert
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